John C. Young was married twice and had ten children, four by his first wife and six by his second. All attended either Centre College or Caldwell College.
In 1829 Young married Frances Breckinridge. Frances died on November 2, 1837. They had four daughters: Mary, Caroline Josephine, Jane Elizabeth Ramsey, and Frances Breckinridge. Mary and Caroline attended Centre College and completed the degree requirements in 1849; Jane and Frances did the same in 1851. However, none were awarded a degree at that time. It was not until after their step-brother, William C. Young, became President of Centre that the Board of Trustees on 1891 officially awarded the three surviving daughters their B.A. degrees.
| 1831-1919 | Mary Young | Centre Class of 1849 |
| b. October 21, 1833 | Caroline Josephine Young | Centre Class of 1849 |
| b. June 17, 1835 | Jane Elizabeth Ramsey Young | Centre Class of 1851 |
| b. October 25, 1837 | Frances Breckinridge Young | Centre Class of 1851 |
In 1839 Young married Cornelia Crittenden. The six children from his second marriage were John Crittenden Young, William Clarke Young, George Clarke Young, Eugenia Young, Zillah Young, and Sallie Lee Young.
| 1841-1885 | John Crittenden Young | Centre Class of 1857 |
| 1842-1896 | William Clarke Young | Centre Class of 1859 |
| 1844-1936 | Eugenia Young | Caldwell College Class of 1862 |
| 1846-1920 | Zillah Young | Caldwell College Class of 1862 |
| 1847-1927 | Sarah Lee Young | listed as a student at Caldwell College in the 1862-63 catalog. Received degree of Doctor of Literature from Centre in 1919 |
| 1849-1875 | George Clarke Young | Centre Class of 1868 |