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
Yang's 291 recorded births place it above 76.31% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
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
- Peak year (1990)
- 21
- Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 2024.
291 total births across 44 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1990 with 21 births in a single year.
Yang popularity over time - girls
47 total births recorded since 1982 (Yang as girls' name)
Unisex use remains the minority pattern
The girls' variant of Yang accounts for 14% of total recorded use across both genders.
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
- 1980s
1980s
87 births
- 1990s
1990s
94 births
- 2000s
2000s
42 births
- 2010s
2010s
62 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 94 births (32% of all-time use).
Yang decade highlights
- Peak decade 94 births
- Runner-up 87 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
Yang by state
Where Yang concentrates geographically, total births since 1981
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 34 | 11.7% |
| #2 | Wisconsin | | 6 | 2.1% |
34 of 291 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- California 11.7% of nationwide
- Wisconsin 2.1% of nationwide
Recorded in 2 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
California accounts for 11.7% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
Compare Yang side by side: Yang vs Yandel Yang vs Yancy Yang vs Yancey
Related Names
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.
Similar peak year (~1990)
Similar record span (~43 yrs)
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.
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