The surname Yeo is derived from an old word for stream or river, see The origin of the surname.
This study of the surname is registered with the Guild of One-name Studies and with The Surname Society. The registration with the Guild includes the variants Yea, Yaw, Yeah and Yoe.
Within our study we also recognise a number of other variants of the surname, which mainly arose in the period before widespread literacy. See Further surname variants.
The surnames Yeo (sometimes written as Yang), Yeoh, Yee and Yaw are found in families of Chinese and Korean origin in many parts of the world. These family lines fall outside the scope of the study.
Also outside the scope of the study are:
– The surname Yoe from Pennsylvania, which appears to be a variant of an unrelated German surname – see Pennsylvania
– A family in the United States with the surname Yaw, which might also be of German origin – see Germany?
– The surname Yeo in Mexico, which might be a variant of a Spanish name – see Mexico
– The surname Yaw in Scotland.
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