Girl Names That Start With Y
Y is one of the most international letters for girls’ names. In English it is rare, but it opens beloved names in Hebrew (Yael), Arabic (Yasmin, Yara), Japanese (Yuna, Yui), Spanish (Yolanda), French (Yvette) and many more. Here are 90+ girl names that start with Y, each with its meaning and origin so you can choose with confidence.
Because Y can sound like a consonant (Yara) or a vowel (Yvonne), say each name aloud before you decide. For more rare-letter ideas, see girl names that start with W and Z, the boys’ list of boy names that start with Y, or unique girl names.
Popular Y names for girls in the US
These Y names appear most often in recent American birth data, though all are still uncommon.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yaretzi | Commonly said to mean “you will always be loved” | Nahuatl-inspired (Mexico) |
| Yara | Butterfly (Arabic); water lady (Tupi) | Arabic/Brazilian |
| Yamileth | Modern Latin American form of Jamila, “beautiful” | Spanish |
| Yasmin | Jasmine flower | Persian/Arabic |
| Yareli | Modern Mexican name of uncertain meaning | Spanish (Mexico) |
| Yaritza | Modern Latin American name, possibly Basque-inspired | Spanish |
| Yaneli | Modern Mexican coinage | Spanish (Mexico) |
| Yvonne | Yew tree | French |
| Yesenia | Possibly from yessenia palm; a telenovela heroine | Spanish |
Classic and vintage Y names
European favorites of the mid-20th century. For more, see vintage girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yolanda | Violet flower (possibly from Iolanthe) | Spanish/Greek |
| Yvette | Yew | French |
| Yolande | Violet | French |
| Ynes | Pure, holy (form of Agnes) | Spanish (Inés) |
| Ysabel | Pledged to God (form of Elizabeth) | Spanish (old) |
| Ysolde | Ice ruler (Germanic) or fair (Welsh), from Isolde | Medieval |
| Yseult | Form of Isolde | French |
| Yetta | Ruler of the house (from Henrietta) | Yiddish |
| Yentl | Kind, genteel (from Yente) | Yiddish |
| Ysabeau | Old French form of Isabel | French |
| Ysanne | Grace (Anne) with Ys- spelling | Medieval French |
Hebrew and biblical Y names
Several Y names come straight from the Hebrew Bible. See Hebrew girl names and biblical girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Yael | Mountain goat, ibex | Judges 4 (Jael) |
| Yocheved | God’s glory | Mother of Moses, Exodus 6 |
| Yehudit | Praised; woman of Judea | Book of Judith |
| Yardena | Flowing down; from the Jordan River | Modern Hebrew |
| Yaffa | Beautiful | Modern Hebrew |
| Yonah | Dove | Hebrew |
| Yemima | Dove (Jemima) | Daughter of Job, Job 42 |
| Yiska | Form of Iscah, “she will see” | Genesis 11 |
| Yarden | The Jordan River | Modern Hebrew |
| Yehudis | Praised | Yiddish pronunciation of Judith |
| Yakira | Precious, dear | Modern Hebrew |
| Yaelle | Mountain goat | French form of Yael |
Arabic and Persian Y names
Arabic has a rich collection of Y names. Explore Arabic girl names and Persian girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yusra | Ease, prosperity | Arabic |
| Yumna | Blessed, lucky, right side | Arabic |
| Yasmeen | Jasmine | Arabic |
| Yasira | Easy, wealthy | Arabic |
| Yaqut | Ruby, sapphire | Arabic |
| Yamama | Dove | Arabic |
| Yashira | Wealthy | Arabic |
| Yalda | The longest night of the year | Persian |
| Yasaman | Jasmine | Persian |
Japanese, Chinese and Korean Y names
Meanings depend on the characters chosen. See Japanese girl names, Korean girl names and Chinese girl names.
| Name | Common meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yui | Binding, tie (結) | Japanese |
| Yuki | Snow (雪); happiness (幸) | Japanese |
| Yuna | Gentle (優) with the feminine ending 奈 | Japanese |
| Yuka | Gentle flower (優花) | Japanese |
| Yumi | Beautiful bow (弓美); reason and beauty | Japanese |
| Yoko | Sun child or ocean child (陽子, 洋子) | Japanese |
| Yoshiko | Good child (良子) | Japanese |
| Yua | Gentle love (結愛) | Japanese |
| Yuzuki | Grapefruit moon (柚月) | Japanese |
| Yan | Swallow; beautiful (燕, 艳) | Chinese |
| Ying | Flower, blossom (英, 莹) | Chinese |
| Yue | Moon (月) | Chinese |
| Yun | Cloud (云) | Chinese |
| Yuying | Jade flower (玉英) | Chinese |
| Yeon | Lotus (연) | Korean |
| Yejin | Artistic and precious (예진) | Korean |
| Yuri | Lily (百合) | Japanese |
| Yurika | Lily fragrance (百合香) | Japanese |
| Yasuko | Peaceful child (康子, 靖子) | Japanese |
| Yoshino | Good field (吉野), a place famed for cherry blossoms | Japanese |
| Yinuo | A promise (一诺) | Chinese |
Scandinavian, Slavic and Welsh Y names
Northern and Eastern European Y names. More in Swedish girl names and Welsh girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin / pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Ylva | She-wolf | Swedish (IL-va) |
| Yrsa | She-bear | Norse/Danish (IR-sa) |
| Yngvild | Yngvi’s battle | Norwegian |
| Ylvie | Little wolf (from Ylva) | Scandinavian |
| Yelena | Torch, light (Helen) | Russian (yeh-LEH-na) |
| Yekaterina | Pure (Katherine) | Russian |
| Yevgenia | Well born | Russian |
| Yeva | Life (Eve) | Ukrainian/Armenian |
| Yulia | Youthful (Julia) | Russian/Ukrainian |
| Yana | God is gracious | Slavic |
| Yolanta | Violet | Polish (Jolanta) |
| Ysbail | Welsh form of Isabel | Welsh |
| Yaroslava | Fierce glory, or spring glory | Ukrainian/Russian |
| Yuliana | Youthful | Russian/Spanish |
| Yelizaveta | Pledged to God (Elizabeth) | Russian |
| Yoana | God is gracious | Bulgarian |
Y names from India, Africa and the Americas
A final handful of global Y names. See Indian girl names and African girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yamuna | Sacred river of India; twin | Sanskrit |
| Yashvi | Famous | Sanskrit |
| Yashoda | Giver of fame; foster mother of Krishna | Sanskrit |
| Yogita | Fit for meditation | Sanskrit |
| Yamini | Night | Sanskrit |
| Yetunde | Mother has returned | Yoruba |
| Yewande | Mother has come back | Yoruba |
| Yejide | Image of the mother | Yoruba |
| Yaa | Born on Thursday | Akan (Ghana) |
| Yohanna | God is gracious | Amharic/Spanish |
| Ynez | Pure (form of Agnes) | Spanish (Californian spelling) |
| Yoselin | Latin American spelling of Jocelyn | Spanish |
| Yukti | Idea, skill, reasoning | Sanskrit |
| Yolotli | Heart | Nahuatl |
How to choose a Y name
- Check the Y sound. Yara, Yael and Yasmin start with a consonant “y”; Yvonne and Yvette start with an “ee” sound.
- Honor the culture. Most Y names come from Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese or Yoruba. Learn what the name means in its home language.
- Japanese names depend on kanji. Yuki can mean snow or happiness; pick the meaning you like and keep it on record.
- Use a Y middle name. Short names like Yael, Yui or Ylva make striking middle names. Try our middle names for girls.
- Look for meaning. Yuki and Yalda connect to winter and night; see names that mean snow.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name that starts with Y?
In recent SSA data, Yaretzi and Yara are among the most-used Y names for US girls, followed by Yamileth and Yasmin.
What are some pretty girl names that start with Y?
Yara, Yasmin, Ysolde, Yuna, Yvette and Yael are often chosen for their soft, elegant sound.
Are there biblical girl names starting with Y?
Yes. Yael (Jael), Yocheved (mother of Moses), Yemima (Jemima) and Yehudit (Judith) are Hebrew forms of biblical names.
What does Yasmin mean?
Yasmin comes from the Persian word for the jasmine flower. It is widely used in Arabic, Persian, Turkish and English-speaking families.
How do you pronounce Ysolde?
Ysolde is usually pronounced ih-ZOLD or ee-ZOLD-eh. It is a medieval spelling of Isolde, the heroine of the Tristan legend.