Unisex name · since 1981

Yang

291 babies named Yang in U.S. Social Security records since 1981, with the highest year being 1990. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#10,770 of 45,481
all-time among boys
291
born since 1981
1990s
peak decade

Yang sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 291 recorded since 1981.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Yang has been recorded 291 times among boys since 1981, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 2024.

  • #10,770 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 291 born since 1981
  • 1990s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Yang ranks #10,770 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 291 born since 1981, peaking in the 1990s.

#10,770 of 45,481
all-time among boys
291
born since 1981
1990s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Yang's 291 recorded births place it above 76.31% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

2 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.

Yang's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Yang's full recorded timeline at 1998, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1985, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1990 peak of 21 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Yang popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2024

Last recorded 2024
Peak year (1990)
21
Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
0510152025 198119851989199319982002201020152024 6

Yang popularity over time - girls

47 total births recorded since 1982 (Yang as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 47 births
45678910 19821985198719881989199319972012 5

Yang by decade

1990s is the heaviest window (94 births, 32% of the file).

1990s was Yang's strongest decade.

94 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.

Yang births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1990s at 94 births (32% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Yang by state

Where Yang concentrates geographically, total births since 1981

Geographically diffuse
Top 2 states by recorded births for the name Yang
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
34 11.7%
#2 Wisconsin
6 2.1%
California share of Yang's total US births 11.7%
Even split

34 of 291 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Yang?
Since 1981, Social Security records show 291 babies named Yang. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #10,770 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2024. Its busiest year on record was 1990, with 21 births.
Where does Yang sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Yang ranks #10,770 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Yang most popular?
Yang was most popular in the 1990s decade with 94 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Yang most popular?
The top states for the name Yang are California (34 births), Wisconsin (6 births).
Is Yang a unisex name?
Yes, Yang is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 291 births, and as a girl's name it has 47 births.
How long has the name Yang been used?
The SSA has tracked Yang since 1981 -- 44 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Yang?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Yandel, Yancy, Yancey, Yannick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Yang's data

  • Yang's decade-level peak was the 1990s (94 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • California records the most Yangs (34 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Yang

Nearby Names Like Yang

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Yang

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Yang: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1981–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Yang draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.