Yago m SpanishSpanish form of
Iacobus (see
James). The form
Santiago refers more specifically to the New Testament apostles.
Yahui f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
惠 (huì) meaning "favour, benefit". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Yahweh m TheologyA name of the Hebrew God, represented in Hebrew by the Tetragrammaton ("four letters")
יהוה (Yod Heh Vav Heh), which was transliterated into Roman script as
Y H W H. Because it was considered blasphemous to utter the name of God, it was only written and never spoken, which resulted in the original pronunciation becoming lost. The name may have originally been derived from the old Semitic root
הוה (hawah) meaning
"to be" or
"to become".
Yale m English (Rare)From a Welsh surname, which was itself derived from a place name meaning
"fertile upland" (from Welsh
ial).
Yam m Semitic MythologyMeans
"sea" in Ugaritic. Yam was the Ugaritic god of the sea, also associated with chaos, storms and destruction. He was a son of the chief god
El.
Yama 1 m HinduismMeans
"twin" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of death. He is also regarded as the first mortal being, or in other words, the first person to die. This name is related to Persian
Jam.
Yamato m JapaneseFrom
Yamato, an ancient name for Japan. It can also refer to the Yamato period in Japanese history, which lasted into the 8th century. The individual kanji are
大 meaning "great" and
和 meaning "harmony".
Yan 2 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
艳 (yàn) meaning "beautiful, gorgeous" (which is usually only feminine) or
岩 (yán) meaning "cliff, rocks", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar fashion.
Yancy m & f EnglishFrom a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname
Jansen meaning
"Jan 1's son".
Yang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or
阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male" (which is typically only masculine), as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
Yanni m Greek (Expatriate)Diminutive of
Yiannis. A famous bearer is the Greek-American musician Yiannis Chryssomallis (1954-), who goes by the single name Yanni.
Yaroslav m Russian, Ukrainian, Medieval SlavicMeans
"fierce and glorious", derived from the Slavic elements
yaru meaning "fierce, energetic" and
slava meaning "glory". Yaroslav the Wise was an 11th-century grand prince of Kyiv who expanded Kievan Rus to its greatest extent.
Yasen m BulgarianMeans both
"ash tree" and
"clear, serene" in Bulgarian.
Yasin m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, TurkishFrom the Arabic letters
ي (called
ya) and
س (called
sin). These letters begin the 36th chapter of the Quran (surah Ya Sin).
Yasir m Arabic, UrduMeans
"to be rich", derived from Arabic
يسر (yasira) meaning "to become easy". This was the name of an early Islamic martyr. It was also borne by Yasir Arafat (1929-2004), a leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Yasu 1 f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
安 (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet",
康 (yasu) meaning "peaceful" or
坦 (yasu) meaning "flat, smooth, level", as well as other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yating f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
婷 (tíng) meaning "pretty, graceful". Other character combinations are possible.
Yaxkin f & m Indigenous American, MayanFrom
Yaxk'in, the name of the seventh month in the Maya calender, derived from Classic Maya
yax "green, first" and
k'in "sun, day".
Yazhu f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
筑 (zhù) meaning "lute, zither, build". Other character combinations are also possible.
Ye-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
藝 (ye) meaning "art, talent, craft" combined with
俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome", as well as other hanja combinations.
Yeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name. This name was borne by Jang Yeong-sil (where
Jang is the surname), a 15th-century Korean scientist and inventor.
Yeong-Cheol m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
永 (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" combined with
哲 (cheol) meaning "wise, sage". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Yeong-Gi m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper" and
起 (gi) meaning "rise, stand up, begin". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Yeong-Ho m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero",
映 (yeong) meaning "reflect light" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
皓 (ho) meaning "bright, luminous, clear, hoary". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Yeong-Hwan m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
永 (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
煥 (hwan) meaning "shining, brilliant, lustrous". Other hanja combinations are possible as well.
Yeong-Su m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
永 (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" and
壽 (su) meaning "long life, lifespan", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Yeray m Spanish (Canarian)Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, possibly from a Guanche word or place name meaning
"big, grand".
Yeruslan m FolkloreFrom Tatar
Уруслан (Uruslan), which was possibly from Turkic
arslan meaning
"lion". Yeruslan Lazarevich is the name of a hero in Russian and Tatar folktales. These tales were based on (or at least influenced by) Persian tales of their hero
Rostam.
Yeshua m Biblical Hebrew, Ancient AramaicContracted form of
Yehoshu'a (see
Joshua) used in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible. The form was also used in Aramaic, and was most likely the name represented by Greek
Iesous (see
Jesus) in the New Testament. This means it was probably the real name of Jesus.
Yi f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宜 (yí) meaning "suitable, proper",
毅 (yì) meaning "resolute, decisive, firm",
义 (yì) meaning "justice, righteousness",
益 (yì) meaning "profit, benefit",
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" (which is usually only feminine) or
仪 (yí) meaning "ceremony, rites" (also usually feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
Yijun m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" combined with
君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Yin f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
银 (yín) meaning "silver, money",
音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone" or
荫 (yīn) meaning "shade, shelter, protect", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
Yngvi m Norse MythologyPossibly an Old Norse cognate of
Ing. This was an alternate name of the god
Freyr, who as Yngvi-Freyr was regarded as the ancestor of the Swedish royal family.
Yoda m Popular CultureThe name of a short green alien in the
Star Wars series of movies, first appearing in the second movie
The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The name has no meaning; it was devised for its sound by creator George Lucas.
Yong m & f Chinese, KoreanFrom 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". This name can be formed by other characters besides those listed here.
Yori m JapaneseFrom Japanese
頼 (yori) meaning "rely" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
York m EnglishFrom 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.
Yoshi m & f JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom 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.
Yoshimitsu m JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous" and
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly", as well as many other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Yoshirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Yōsuke m JapaneseFrom 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.
Yōta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other character combinations are possible.
Yu f & m ChineseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness",
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence",
勇 (yū) meaning "brave", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yūdai m JapaneseFrom Japanese
雄 (yū) meaning "hero, manly" and
大 (dai) meaning "big, great, vast", besides other combinations of kanji.
Yūji m JapaneseFrom
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.
Yūki m & f JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom 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.
Yukio m JapaneseFrom 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.
Yūma m JapaneseFrom 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.
Yun f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
云 (yún) meaning "cloud" or
允 (yǔn) meaning "allow, consent", as well as other Chinese characters that are pronounced in a similar way.
Yun-Seo f & m KoreanFrom 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.
Yuriy m Russian, Ukrainian, BelarusianRussian, 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.
Yūta m JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
豊 (yutaka) meaning "luxuriant, lush, bountiful" or
裕 (yutaka) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful". Other kanji can also form this name.
Yūto m JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
優 or
悠 or
勇 (see
Yū).
Yuuji m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
祐二 or
雄二 or
裕司 or
祐司 or
裕治 or
裕二 (see
Yūji).
Yuuki m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
優希 or
悠希 or
優輝 or
悠生 (see
Yūki).
Yuuta m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
優太 or
悠太 or
勇太 or
雄大 (see
Yūta).
Yuuto m JapaneseAlternate 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).
Yuzuru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
譲 (yuzuru) meaning "allow, permit, yield, concede", as well as other kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Yvain m Arthurian RomanceForm of
Owain used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his Arthurian romance
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion.
Yves m FrenchMedieval 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.
Zaahir 1 m ArabicMeans
"shining, brilliant, radiant" in Arabic, derived from the root
زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Zaahir 2 m ArabicMeans
"clear, evident, manifest, outward" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الظاهر (al-Zahir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Zababa m Sumerian MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of a Sumerian and Akkadian war god worshipped in the city-state of Kish.
Zaccai m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
זַכָּי (Zakkai) meaning
"pure". This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.
Zacchaeus m BiblicalFrom
Ζακχαῖος (Zakchaios), the Greek form of
Zaccai. According to the New Testament, Zacchaeus was a tax collector who climbed a tree in order to catch a glimpse of
Jesus, then gave half of his possessions to charity.
Zachariah m English, BiblicalVariant of
Zechariah. This spelling is used in the King James Version of the Old Testament to refer to one of the kings of Israel (called Zechariah in other versions).
Zachary m English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Zacharias, used in some English versions of the New Testament. This form has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation. It was borne by American military commander and president Zachary Taylor (1784-1850).