Boy Names That Start With Y
Y is a truly global letter. English has only a handful of Y names (York, Yale), but look further afield and the list explodes: Hebrew names like Yosef and Yonatan, Arabic Yusuf and Yahya, Japanese Yuki and Yuto, Sanskrit Yash, Ghanaian Yaw. Many are local forms of familiar Bible names — Joseph, John, Jonah, James.
Below you’ll find more than 100 boy names that start with Y, grouped by culture and style, each with a real meaning. For more options, browse our boy names that start with Z and J (many Y names are cousins of J names), or see girl names that start with Y.
Popular boy names starting with Y in the US
The Y names that appear most often on US birth certificates in recent years (SSA data).
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yusuf | God increases (Arabic form of Joseph) | Arabic |
| Yahir | Handsome (modern Spanish usage) | Spanish |
| Yosef | God will add | Hebrew |
| Yadiel | Modern name, possibly from Hebrew “God’s hand” | Puerto Rican / Spanish |
| Yandel | Modern name popularized by the reggaeton singer | Puerto Rican |
| Yael | Mountain goat (unisex) | Hebrew |
| Yehuda | Praised (Judah) | Hebrew |
| Yariel | Modern name, possibly “lion of God” | Spanish |
| Yuri | Farmer (Russian form of George) | Russian |
| Yousef | Arabic spelling variant of Joseph | Arabic |
| Yahya | Arabic form of John; “he lives” | Arabic |
| Yaakov | Supplanter; holder of the heel (Jacob) | Hebrew |
Hebrew boy names that start with Y
In Hebrew, many famous biblical names begin with Y, which English turned into J. See also Hebrew boy names and biblical boy names.
| Name | Meaning | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Yonatan | God has given | Jonathan |
| Yonah | Dove | Jonah |
| Yoel | Yahweh is God | Joel |
| Yitzhak | He will laugh | Isaac |
| Yisrael | Wrestles with God | Israel |
| Yehoshua | God is salvation | Joshua |
| Yochanan | God is gracious | John |
| Yishai | Gift | Jesse |
| Yair | He will shine | Jair |
| Yechiel | May God live | Jehiel |
| Yuval | Stream | Jubal |
| Yigal | He will redeem | Igal |
| Yaron | He will sing | — |
| Yoav | Yahweh is father | Joab |
| Yedidya | Friend of God | Jedidiah |
| Yiftach | He will open | Jephthah |
| Yirmiyahu | God will uplift | Jeremiah |
| Yeshaya | God is salvation | Isaiah |
Arabic, Turkish and Persian Y names
Names honored in Muslim families worldwide, many linked to prophets. Explore Muslim boy names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yasir | Wealthy; easy | Arabic |
| Yunus | Arabic form of Jonah | Arabic |
| Yaqub | Arabic form of Jacob | Arabic |
| Yasin | From the Qur’anic chapter Ya-Sin | Arabic |
| Yazan | Name of an ancient Yemeni king (possibly) | Arabic |
| Yamin | Right hand; blessed | Arabic |
| Yazid | He increases | Arabic |
| Yavuz | Stern, resolute | Turkish |
| Yiğit | Brave young man | Turkish |
| Yaşar | Living, alive | Turkish |
| Yazdan | God | Persian |
| Yaman | Blessed, fortunate | Arabic |
| Yusri | Ease, prosperity | Arabic |
Japanese boy names that start with Y
Meanings depend on the kanji chosen; these are common readings. See more in Japanese boy names.
| Name | Common meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yuki | Snow; happiness | YOO-kee |
| Yuto | Gentle person; excellent person | YOO-toh |
| Yuma | Excellent truth; also a US place name | YOO-mah |
| Yusuke | Helpful; courageous helper | yoo-SKEH |
| Yoshi | Good, lucky | YOH-shee |
| Yuta | Gentle and thick (abundant) | YOO-tah |
| Yamato | Great harmony; ancient name for Japan | yah-MAH-toh |
| Yuichi | Brave first son | YOO-ee-chee |
| Yuji | Courageous second son | YOO-jee |
| Yasuo | Peaceful man | yah-SOO-oh |
| Yoshiro | Good son | yoh-SHEE-roh |
| Yoshio | Righteous man | yoh-SHEE-oh |
| Yudai | Great hero; heroic and great | yoo-DYE |
European Y names
From France and Brittany to Russia, Greece, Finland and Wales.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yves | Yew tree | French |
| Yannick | Breton pet form of John | Breton |
| Yann | Breton form of John | Breton |
| Yannis | Greek form of John | Greek |
| Yanni | Short form of Yannis | Greek |
| Yaroslav | Fierce glory | Slavic |
| Yevgeny | Well-born (Eugene) | Russian |
| Yegor | Farmer (Russian form of George) | Russian |
| Yrjö | Finnish form of George | Finnish |
| Ynyr | Honorable (from Latin Honorius) | Welsh |
| Yago | Spanish/Galician form of James | Spanish |
| Ysidro | Gift of Isis (Isidore) | Spanish |
| Yeray | Name of Canary Islands origin | Spanish (Canarian) |
| Yosyp | Ukrainian form of Joseph | Ukrainian |
English and surname-style Y names
Few Y names come from English, which makes these rare and distinctive.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| York | Yew-tree estate (from Eboracum) | English |
| Yale | Fertile upland | Welsh / English |
| Yardley | Enclosed meadow | English |
| Yates | Gates | English |
| Yule | Midwinter festival | English |
| Yarrow | The wildflower | English |
| Yorick | Danish form of George; Hamlet’s jester | Danish / English |
| Yeats | Gates; nod to poet W. B. Yeats | English / Irish |
| Yeoman | Attendant; small landholder | English |
Indian and African boy names starting with Y
Sanskrit names with lofty meanings, plus Ethiopian and West African choices. More in Indian boy names and African boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yash | Fame, glory | Sanskrit |
| Yuvraj | Crown prince | Sanskrit |
| Yogesh | Lord of yoga | Sanskrit |
| Yuvan | Young, youthful | Sanskrit |
| Yatin | Devotee, ascetic | Sanskrit |
| Yashwant | Glorious | Sanskrit |
| Yug | Era, age | Sanskrit |
| Yogi | Practitioner of yoga | Sanskrit |
| Yusufu | Swahili form of Joseph | Swahili |
| Yaw | Born on Thursday | Akan (Ghana) |
| Yao | Born on Thursday | Ewe (Ghana / Togo) |
| Yohannes | God is gracious (John) | Amharic (Ethiopia) |
| Yared | Descent; name of a 6th-century Ethiopian saint and composer | Amharic |
| Yonas | Dove (Jonah) | Amharic |
Chinese names and mythic Y names
A few short Chinese names, whose meaning depends on the character, plus figures from myth.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yong | Brave; eternal | Chinese |
| Yang | Sun, positive energy (yang) | Chinese |
| Yun | Cloud | Chinese |
| Yuan | Origin, source; round | Chinese |
| Yu | Jade; universe (depends on character) | Chinese |
| Ymir | Primordial frost giant from whose body the world was made | Norse myth |
| Yngvi | Name of the god Freyr, ancestor of Swedish kings | Norse myth |
Tips for choosing a Y name
- Consider the J connection. Many Y names are the original forms of J names (Yosef = Joseph, Yonah = Jonah), a lovely way to honor a family name with a twist.
- Check pronunciation in English. Y at the start is almost always said like “yes,” so Yael is “yah-EL” and Yves is “EEV,” which may need explaining.
- Choose kanji carefully. For Japanese names like Yuki or Yuto, the characters you pick change the meaning.
- Look for a nickname. Yehoshua becomes Shuki, Yonatan becomes Yoni, Yusuf becomes Yusi — make sure you like the likely short form.
- Use Y as a middle name. If a Y first name feels too bold, Yves or York make striking middle names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular boy name that starts with Y?
Yusuf, Yahir, Yosef and Yadiel are among the most-used Y names for boys in the US in recent years (SSA data).
What are Hebrew boy names that start with Y?
Yosef, Yonatan, Yonah, Yoel, Yitzhak, Yehuda, Yair, Yuval and Yaron are popular Hebrew Y names; many are the original forms of English J names.
What Y name means snow?
Yuki is a Japanese name that can mean “snow” (雪) or “happiness” (幸) depending on the kanji. See our names that mean snow for more.
What does the name Yves mean?
Yves is a French name from the Germanic word for “yew,” a tree once prized for making bows. It’s pronounced “EEV.”
Are there English boy names that start with Y?
A few: York, Yale, Yardley, Yates and Yule. Most Y names used in the US come from Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese and other languages.