Names Starting with Y

Yolotli f & m Nahuatl
Variant of Yolotl.

Yolotzin f & m Nahuatl
Means "beloved heart" in Nahuatl, from yōllōtl "heart" and the suffix tzin "beloved, revered".

Yoloxochitl f Nahuatl
Derived from Nahuatl yōllōtl "heart" and xōchitl "flower".

Yona m & f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jonah. It is a unisex name in modern Hebrew.

Yonaguska m Cherokee
Means "drowning bear" from Cherokee ᏲᎾ (yona) "bear" and possibly ᎫᏂᏍᎧ (guniska) "drown". This was the name of a 19th-century Eastern Cherokee chief.

Yonah m & f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew יוֹנָה (see Yona).

Yonas m Tigrinya, Amharic
Tigrinya and Amharic form of Jonah.

Yonatan m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jonathan.

Yonca f Turkish
Means "clover" in Turkish.

Yong m & f Chinese, Korean
From Chinese 勇 (yǒng) meaning "brave" or 永 (yǒng) meaning "perpetual, eternal". This can also be a single-character Korean name, for example from the hanja 勇 meaning "brave". It can be formed by other characters besides those listed here.

Yoni m Hebrew
Diminutive of Yonatan.

Yonina f Hebrew
Feminine form of Yona.

Yonit f Hebrew
Feminine form of Yona.

Yora m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jorah.

Yoram m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Joram.

Yorath m Welsh (Rare)
Anglicized form of Iorwerth.

Yordan m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Jordan.

Yordana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Jordan.

Yordanka f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Jordan.

Yorgos m Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιώργος (see Giorgos).

Yori m Japanese
From Japanese 頼 (yori) meaning "rely" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Yorick m Literature, English, Dutch
Possibly an altered form of Jörg. Shakespeare used this name for a deceased court jester in his play Hamlet (1600).

York m English
From an English surname that was derived from York, the name of a city in northern England. The city name was originally Eburacon, Latinized as Eboracum, meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to Eoforwic, as if from Old English eofor "boar" and wic "village". This was rendered as Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to York.

Yosef m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Joseph.

Yoselin f Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish form of Jocelyn.

Yoshi m & f Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck", 義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous", or 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", as well as other kanji with the same reading.

Yoshie f & m Japanese
From Japanese 芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or 由 (yoshi) meaning "reason, case" combined with 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations with the same reading can also form this name.

Yoshiko f Japanese
From Japanese 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", 芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or 悦 (yoshi) meaning "joy, pleased" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.

Yoshimitsu m Japanese
From Japanese 義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous", 芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful", or 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck" combined with 光 (mitsu) meaning "light". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.

Yoshio m Japanese
From Japanese 義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous" and 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly", as well as many other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.

Yoshiro m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 義郎 (see Yoshirō).

Yoshirō m Japanese
From Japanese 義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous" and 郎 (rō) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Yoshirou m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 義郎 (see Yoshirō).

Yoshiyahu m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Josiah.

Yosif m Bulgarian, Tatar
Bulgarian and Tatar form of Joseph.

Yossel m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Joseph.

Yōsuke m Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or 洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Yosuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽介 or 洋介 or 洋右 (see Yōsuke).

Yosyp m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Joseph.

Yōta m Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other character combinations are possible.

Yotam m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jotham.

Youcef m Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic يوسف (see Yusuf) chiefly used in Algeria.

Youko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).

Younes m Arabic (Maghrebi), Persian
North African and Persian form of Yunus.

Young f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영 (see Yeong).

Young-Gi m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영기 (see Yeong-Gi).

Young-Hee f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영희 (see Yeong-Hui).

Young-Ho m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영호 (see Yeong-Ho).

Young-Ja f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영자 (see Yeong-Ja).

Young-Soo m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영수 (see Yeong-Su).

Young-Sook f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영숙 (see Yeong-Suk).

Younis m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يونس (see Yunus).

Younus m Urdu
Usual Urdu transcription of Yunus.

Youri m Dutch, French
Dutch and French form of Yuriy.

Yousaf m Urdu
Urdu form of Yusuf.

Yousef m Persian, Arabic
Persian form of Yusuf, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription.

Yousra f Arabic (Maghrebi), Arabic (Egyptian)
Alternate transcription of Arabic يسرى or يسرا (see Yusra) chiefly used in North Africa.

Youssef m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يوسف (see Yusuf).

Yousuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽介 or 洋介 or 洋右 (see Yōsuke).

Youta m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽太 (see Yōta).

Yrian m Medieval Scandinavian
Medieval Scandinavian form of Jurian.

Yrjänä m Finnish (Rare)
Finnish form of Jurian.

Yrjö m Finnish
Finnish form of Jurian.

Ysabel f Spanish (Archaic)
Medieval Spanish form of Isabel.

Ysapy f Guarani
Means "dew" in Guarani.

Ysbrand m Dutch (Rare)
Variant of IJsbrand.

Yseult f French (Rare)
French form of Iseult.

Yseut f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Norman French poem Tristan by Béroul.

Ysolt f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Old French poem Tristan by Thomas of Britain.

Yu f & m Chinese
From Chinese 玉 (yù) meaning "jade, precious stone, gem", 愉 (yú) meaning "pleasant, delightful" or 雨 (yǔ) meaning "rain". Other characters can form this name as well.

Yū m & f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness", 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence", 勇 (yū) meaning "brave", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Yua f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" and 愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yuan m & f Chinese
From Chinese 元 (yuán) meaning "first, origin", 原 (yuán) meaning "source, origin", or 媛 (yuàn) meaning "beautiful woman" (which is usually only feminine). Other characters are also possible.

Yuda m Indonesian
Means "war" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit युद्ध (yuddha).

Yūdai m Japanese
From Japanese 雄 (yū) meaning "hero, manly" and 大 (dai) meaning "big, great, vast", besides other combinations of kanji.

Yudel m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Judah.

Yudes f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish short form of Judith.

Yudhishthira m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit युधि (yudhi) meaning "war" and स्थिर (sthira) meaning "firm, steady". In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira was the eldest of the Pandavas, the five sons of Pandu. In actuality, he was born to Pandu's wife Kunti by the god Yama.

Yudhisthira m Hinduism
Alternate transcription of Sanskrit युधिष्ठिर (see Yudhishthira).

Yudif f Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Judith.

Yue f & m Chinese
From Chinese 越 (yuè) meaning "cross, surpass", also referring to the Yue people, or 月 (yuè) meaning "moon". Other characters can form this name as well.

Yugurten m Ancient Berber
Berber form of Jugurtha.

Yuhanna m Arabic
Arabic form of Greek Ioannes (see John).

Yui f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with 衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". It can also come from stand-alone 結 (yui) using a different nanori reading. This name can be formed of other kanji or kanji combinations as well.

Yuina f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yui) meaning "tie, bind" and 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yūji m Japanese
From Japanese 祐 (yū) meaning "divine intervention, protection", 雄 (yū) meaning "hero, manly", or 裕 (yū) meaning "abundant" combined with 二 (ji) meaning "two" or 司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Yūka f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and 花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom". It can also be composed of different kanji that have the same pronunciations.

Yuka f Japanese
From Japanese 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or 佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful". It can also be formed from different kanji that have similar pronunciations.

Yūki m & f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope", 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 生 (ki) meaning "living". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Yuki f & m Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Yukiko f Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Alternatively, it can come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with 喜 (ki) meaning "joy" or 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Yukio m Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" combined with 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or 男 (o) meaning "male, man". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Yūko f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness", 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or 裕 (yū) meaning "abundant" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed of different kanji characters as well.

Yuko f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji.

Yulduz f Uzbek
Means "star" in Uzbek.

Yuli m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юлий (see Yuliy).

Yulia f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юлия or Ukrainian/Belarusian Юлія (see Yuliya).

Yulian m Russian, Bulgarian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Julian.

Yuliana f Russian, Bulgarian, Indonesian
Russian, Bulgarian and Indonesian form of Juliana.

Yulianna f Russian
Russian form of Juliana.

Yuliy m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Julius.

Yuliya f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Bulgarian form of Julia.

Yūma m Japanese
From Japanese 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Yume f Japanese
From Japanese 夢 (yume) meaning "dream, vision". It can also come from 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful" and 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

Yu-Mi f Korean
From Sino-Korean 有 (yu) meaning "have, possess" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.

Yumi f Japanese
From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause", 友 (yu) meaning "friend" or a nanori reading of 弓 (yu) meaning "archery bow" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Yumiko f Japanese
From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yun f & m Chinese
From Chinese 云 (yún) meaning "cloud" or 允 (yǔn) meaning "allow, consent", as well as other Chinese characters that are pronounced in a similar way.

Yūna f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 柚 (yū) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" or 奈 (na), a phonetic character. Other combinations of kanji are also possible.

Yunis m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Jonah.

Yun-Seo f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 尹 (yun) meaning "govern" or 允 (yun) meaning "allow, consent" combined with 序 (seo) meaning "series, sequence", as well as other hanja character combinations.

Yunuen f & m Spanish (Mexican)
Meaning unknown, probably of indigenous (maybe Purépecha) origin. This is the name of an island on Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico.

Yunus m Arabic, Turkish, Indonesian, Malay
Arabic form of Yona (see Jonah). It appears in the Quran.

Yunus Emre m Turkish
Combination of Yunus and Emre, given in reference to the 13th-century poet.

Yura m Russian, Ukrainian
Diminutive of Yuriy.

Yuraq m & f Quechua
Means "white" in Quechua.

Yurena f Spanish (Canarian)
Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, derived from the Guanche word yruene meaning "demon, evil spirit". This word was first recorded incorrectly as yurena by the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1803.

Yūri f Japanese
From Japanese 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" and 里 (ri) meaning "village". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.

Yuri 1 m Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юрий, Ukrainian Юрій or Belarusian Юрый (see Yuriy).

Yuri 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.

Yuriy m Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of George. This name was borne by Yuriy Dolgorukiy, a 12th-century grand prince of Kyiv. The Soviet cosmonaut Yuriy (or Yuri) Gagarin (1934-1968), the first man to travel to space, was another famous bearer of this name.

Yury m Russian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юрий or Belarusian Юрый (see Yuriy).

Yusef m Persian, Arabic
Alternate transcription of Persian یوسف (see Yousef) or Arabic يوسف (see Yusuf).

Yusha m Arabic
Arabic form of Yehoshuaʿ (see Joshua).

Yusif m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Yusuf.

Yusof m Malay
Malay form of Yusuf.

Yusra f Arabic
Means "wealth, ease" in Arabic, a derivative of يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich".

Yustina f Russian
Russian form of Iustina (see Justina).

Yusuf m Arabic, Turkish, Indonesian, Pashto, Tajik, Uzbek, Bengali
Arabic form of Yosef (see Joseph) appearing in the Quran. This is also the form used in several other languages.

Ýusup m Turkmen
Turkmen form of Yusuf.

Yusup m Uyghur
Uyghur and Avar form of Yusuf.

Yūta m Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness", 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or 勇 (yū) meaning "brave" combined with 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are possible.

Yutaka m Japanese
From Japanese 豊 (yutaka) meaning "luxuriant, lush, bountiful" or 裕 (yutaka) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful". Other kanji can also form this name.

Yutke f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Judith.

Yūto m Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" combined with 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, 人 (to) meaning "person" or 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yuu m & f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優 or 悠 or 勇 (see Yū).

Yuudai m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 雄大 (see Yūdai).

Yuuji m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 祐二 or 雄二 or 裕司 or 祐司 or 裕治 or 裕二 (see Yūji).

Yuuka f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優花 or 有香 (see Yūka).

Yuuki m & f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優希 or 悠希 or 優輝 or 悠生 (see Yūki).

Yuuko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優子 or 悠子 or 裕子 (see Yūko).

Yuuma m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 悠真 or 優真 (see Yūma).

Yuuna f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優菜 or 優奈 or 柚菜 (see Yūna).

Yuuri f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 悠里 (see Yūri).

Yuusuf m Somali
Somali form of Yosef (see Joseph).

Yuuta m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優太 or 悠太 or 勇太 or 雄大 (see Yūta).

Yuuto m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優斗 or 悠斗 or 悠人 or 悠翔 or 優翔 or 柚翔 or 祐翔 or 勇人 (see Yūto).

Yuval m & f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jubal. It is used as both a masculine and feminine name in modern Hebrew.

Yuzuki f Japanese
From Japanese 柚 (yuzu) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Yuzuru m Japanese
From Japanese 譲 (yuzuru) meaning "allow, permit, yield, concede", as well as other kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

Yvain m Arthurian Cycle
Form of Owain used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his Arthurian romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion.

Yvan m French
French form of Ivan.

Yveline f French
Feminine diminutive of Yves.

Yvelise f French
Feminine form of Yves (or an elaboration using Élise). It was (first?) borne by the title character in the Italian novel Yvelise (1923) by Guido da Verona. It later appeared in the photonovel Yvelise devant l'amour published in the French magazine Nous Deux in 1950.

Yves m French
Medieval French form of Ivo 1. This was the name of two French saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.

Yveta f Czech
Czech form of Yvette.

Yvette f French, English
French feminine form of Yves.

Yvo m Dutch
Variant of Ivo 1.

Yvon m French
Medieval diminutive of Yves.

Yvona f Czech
Czech form of Yvonne.

Yvonne f French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Ywain m Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Owain.