Boy names that start with Y
These 92 Y boy names run from Yaakov to Yves, each with its meaning and origin. The most popular in the US in 2025 were Yusuf, Yahya and Yosef.
Yosef
He will add (Hebrew). No. 665 in the US in 2025, 413 babies.
BoyHebrew
Yefim
Cheerful, good-spirited (Greek)
BoyRussian
Yuji
Heroic and two, often a second son (depends on kanji) (Japanese). No. 6,789 in the US in 2025, 13 babies.
BoyJapanese
Yıldırım
Lightning (Turkish)
BoyTurkish
Yuraq
White (Quechua)
UnisexSpanish
Yeongho
Heroic and great (depends on hanja) (Korean)
BoyKorean
Yinon
He will flourish (Hebrew)
BoyHebrew
Snow; happiness (depends on characters) (Japanese). No. 5,399 in the US in 2025, 37 babies. Given to both: 65% girls.
UnisexJapanese
Yağmur
Rain (Turkish)
UnisexTurkish
Farmer, earth worker (Greek). No. 1,825 in the US in 2025, 88 babies. Given to both: 61% girls.
BoyRussian
Yoel
Yahweh is God (Hebrew). No. 1,643 in the US in 2025, 103 babies.
BoyHebrew
Yeonggi
Eternal foundation (depends on hanja) (Korean)
BoyKorean
Most popular boy names starting with Y in 2025
Ranked by the number of US babies given each name. Each spelling is counted on its own.
| US rank | Name | Babies | 10-year trend | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #450 | Yusuf | 698 | Steady | he will add |
| #616 | Yahya | 455 | Steady | – |
| #665 | Yosef | 413 | Steady | he will add |
| #741 | Yehuda | 351 | Steady | praised, thanked |
| #745 | Yousef | 349 | Steady | he will add |
| #816 | Yahir | 305 | Steady | – |
| #818 | Yael | 304 | Steady | – |
| #826 | Yisroel | 300 | Steady | – |
| #839 | Yadiel | 294 | Steady | – |
| #911 | Yitzchok | 261 | Steady | – |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 2025. Trend compares the rank with ten years earlier.
Y names by the numbers
How many US babies get a name starting with Y, counted from Social Security records of names given to at least 5 babies.
Boys
- Share of boys, 2025
- 0.6%
- Place among 26 letters
- 23rd
- Different Y names
- 284
- In the top 1,000
- 10
Share of boys with a Y name: 0.0% in 1950, 0.2% in 2000, and 0.6% in 2025.
Y boy names used in many cultures
Names our database lists in the most languages and countries, easy to spell and say in several of them.
- Yusufhe will add (Hebrew)
- Yujade or rain in Chinese; gentle in Japanese (Chinese and Japanese)
- Yaakovsupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew)
- Yağızbrown, chestnut (Turkish)
- Yağmurrain (Turkish)
- Yahavhope (Hebrew)
- Yairhe shines (Hebrew)
- Yakovsupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew)
- Yalazflame (Turkish)
- Yalimy God (Hebrew)
- Yamatogreat harmony; old name for Japan (Japanese)
- Yangsun; ocean (depends on characters) (Chinese)
- Yangsun, light, written 阳 (Chinese)
- Yanivhe will prosper (Hebrew)
- YannGod is gracious (Hebrew)
- YannickGod is gracious (Hebrew)
- Yaqubholder of the heel (Hebrew)
- Yardento flow down; the Jordan River (Hebrew)
Where these names come from
- Hebrew: 32
- Japanese: 16
- Korean: 13
- Turkish: 7
- Chinese: 7
- Greek: 5
- Arabic: 3
- Nahuatl: 2
All 92 boy names that start with Y
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yaakov | supplanter, holder of the heel | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yağız | brown, chestnut | Turkish | Boy |
| Yağmur | rain | Turkish | Unisex |
| Yahav | hope | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Yair | he shines | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yakov | supplanter, holder of the heel | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yalaz | flame | Turkish | Boy |
| Yali | my God | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Yamato | great harmony; old name for Japan | Japanese | Boy |
| Yang | sun; ocean (depends on characters) | Chinese | Boy |
| Yang | sun, light, written 阳 | Chinese | Unisex |
| Yaniv | he will prosper | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yann | God is gracious | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yannick | God is gracious | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yaqub | holder of the heel | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yarden | to flow down; the Jordan River | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Yaron | he will sing | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yaroslav | fierce glory | Slavic | Boy |
| Yash | fame, glory | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Yasha | short form of Yakov, supplanter | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yasin | the letters ya and sin, opening Quran chapter 36 | Arabic | Boy |
| Yasir | easy, wealthy | Arabic | Boy |
| Yasushi | peaceful, healthy (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yavuz | stern, grim | Turkish | Boy |
| Yaw | born on Thursday | Akan | Boy |
| Yazdan | angel, divinity | Persian | Boy |
| Yechezkel | God will strengthen | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yechiel | God will live | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yedidya | beloved of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yefim | cheerful, good-spirited | Greek | Boy |
| Yegor | farmer, a folk form of Georgy | Greek | Boy |
| Yehoshafat | God has judged | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yehoshua | Yahweh is salvation | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yehuda | praised, thanked | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yejun | artistic and talented (depends on characters) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeong | brave, heroic, when written 英 | Korean | Unisex |
| Yeongcheol | eternally wise (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeonggi | eternal foundation (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeongho | heroic and great (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeonghwan | eternal and shining (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeongjin | hero and true (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeongsik | hero and planted (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeongsu | eternal long life (depends on characters) | Korean | Boy |
| Yeonu | lasting blessing (depends on hanja) | Korean | Unisex |
| Yevgeny | well-born, noble | Greek | Boy |
| Yiftach | he opens | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yiğit | brave young man | Turkish | Boy |
| Ying | shadow, when written 影 | Chinese | Unisex |
| Yinon | he will flourish | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yisrael | God contends | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yitzhak | he will laugh | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yıldırım | lightning | Turkish | Boy |
| Yoel | Yahweh is God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yoichi | sun and one (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yolotl | heart, spirit | Nahuatl | Unisex |
| Yolotzin | beloved heart | Nahuatl | Unisex |
| Yom Tov | good day, holiday | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yonah | dove | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yonatan | God has given | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yong | brave; eternal (depends on characters) | Chinese | Boy |
| Yong | brave, when written 勇 | Chinese | Unisex |
| Yongjun | brave and talented (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yori | to rely on, trust (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yosef | he will add | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yoshio | righteous man (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yosuke | sun helper; ocean helper (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yota | sun and big (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yotam | God is perfect | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yousef | he will add | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yousry | comfort, prosperity | Arabic | Boy |
| Yu | jade or rain in Chinese; gentle in Japanese | Chinese and Japanese | Unisex |
| Yue | moon, written 月 | Chinese | Unisex |
| Yuito | tie and soar (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yuji | heroic and two, often a second son (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yujin | having treasure (depends on hanja) | Korean | Unisex |
| Yujun | abundant talent (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Yuki | snow; happiness (depends on characters) | Japanese | Unisex |
| Yukimura | happy village | Japanese | Boy |
| Yukio | fortunate man (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yüksel | rise | Turkish | Unisex |
| Yun | cloud (depends on characters) | Chinese | Unisex |
| Yunus | dove | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yura | short form of Yuri, farmer | Greek | Boy |
| Yuraq | white | Quechua | Unisex |
| Yuri | farmer, earth worker | Greek | Boy |
| Yusuf | he will add | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yusuke | heroic helper (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yuta | calm and big (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yutaka | abundant, bountiful (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yuval | stream | Hebrew | Boy |
| Yuzuru | tie and bowstring (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Yves | yew tree | Germanic | Boy |
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular boy names that start with Y?
The most popular boy names starting with Y in the US are Yusuf (#450), Yahya (#616), Yosef (#665), Yehuda (#741), Yousef (#745), according to US Social Security Administration data for 2025.
How many boy names start with Y?
In 2025, 284 different boy names starting with Y were given to at least 5 US babies each, and 10 of them were in the top 1,000. This page lists 92 with their meaning and origin.
How common are boy names that start with Y?
0.6% of US boys born in 2025 have a name starting with Y, making it the 23rd most common first letter. In 1950 it was 0.0%.
Where do boy names starting with Y come from?
The most common origins on this list are Hebrew (32), Japanese (16), Korean (13).