137 Boy Names That Start With Y (with Meanings and Popularity)
Boy names that start with Y are a rare and exotic bunch. Yusuf, Yosef and Yousef — all international forms of the Biblical classic Joseph — are the three most popular Y boy names in the US today, all ranking in the Top 800 names for baby boys.
Along with Yusuf and its variants, Y starters Yahir, Yehuda and Yael also make the US Top 1000 for boys. In England and Wales, Y boys' names are relatively widespread: Yahya, Yunus, Yaqub, Yaseen, Yasin, Yuvraj, Yasir, Yanis, Yuvan and Yasha are just some of the Y names ranking in the British Top 1000.
Fun fact: Y names for boys were a runaway success in Cuba in the 70s and 80s, when so many little Yoanis, Yulieskis, Yuniers and others were born that they have been dubbed "Generación Y". Not so in the US, where boy names beginning with Y retain their distinctive, quietly quirky appeal, and make a good choice for parents looking for a unique baby boy name for a son.
Homegrown Y boys’ names include place names York and Yale, and nature-inspired Yarrow and Yardley.
Here, our full selection of boy names that start with Y, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Yves
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"yew wood"
- Yoshi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"good, respectful"
- Yanis
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gift of God"
- Yuri
Origin:
Russian variation of George
- Yahir
Origin:
Hebrew and ArabicMeaning:
"he will enlighten"
- Yohan
Origin:
Variation of JohanMeaning:
"God is gracious"
- Yarrow
Origin:
Botanical name, EnglishMeaning:
"rough stream"
- Yasha
Origin:
RussianMeaning:
"supplanter"
- York
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the yew estate"
- Yael
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"ibex"
- Yannick
Origin:
BretonMeaning:
"God is gracious"
- Ymir
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"cry"
- Yuji
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"relaxed and caring"
- Yari
Origin:
Spanish from HebrewMeaning:
"gold"
- Yasiel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"whom God made"
- Yadiel
Origin:
Spanish variation of YehudielMeaning:
"God has heard"
- Yusuf
Origin:
Arabic variation of Joseph, HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"
- Yuki
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"snow"
- Youssef
Origin:
Variation of Yusuf, ArabicMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"
- Yuli
Origin:
Diminutive of Yulian, Russian and BulgarianMeaning:
"youthful, downy-bearded, sky father"