Total births
517
Boys' name · since 1914
Yates
Yates has 517 recorded births since 1914 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5684
- among boys today
- 517
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Yates currently ranks #5684 among boys' names in America, with 517 babies recorded since 1914.
Social Security Administration records show Yates recorded 517 times among boys since 1914, holding rank #5684 nationally today, ahead of 60% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #5684 among boys today
- 517 born since 1914
- 2010s peak decade
- 60% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Yates is currently the #5684 boys' name in America, more common than 60% of boys - 517 born since 1914, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5684
- among boys today
- 517
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Yates vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5684
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 60% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Yates was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
16 babies were named Yates in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Yates compares
517 Top 43% higher than 57% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Yates's all-time total is 41% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Yates | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 517 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 16 | 23 | 22,252 |
Yates's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Yates's SSA record in two at 1960 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1924, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 16, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Yates at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#5,684
Active since
1914
Yates popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Yates by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Yates's strongest decade.
102 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Yates births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
54 births
- 1920s
1920s
77 births
- 1930s
1930s
65 births
- 1940s 36
1940s
36 births
- 1950s 17
1950s
17 births
- 1960s 10
1960s
10 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 20
1980s
20 births
- 1990s 7
1990s
7 births
- 2000s
2000s
45 births
- 2010s
2010s
102 births
- 2020s
2020s
73 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 102 births (20% of all-time use).
How Yates compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Yates's total volume
Yates vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Yates by state
Where Yates concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 114 | 22.1% |
North Carolina share of Yates's total US births 22.1%
114 of 517 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Yates? ▼
Yates has been given to 517 babies in the U.S. since 1914, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5684 as of the latest data. 16 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Yates most popular? ▼
Yates was most popular in the 2010s decade with 102 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Yates most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Yates are North Carolina (114 births).
How long has the name Yates been used? ▼
Yates has been recorded in Social Security data since 1914, spanning 112 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Yates? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Yatharth, Yatin, Yatniel, Yatziel. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Yates's data
- Yates's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (102 total births) through the 2020s (73) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Yatess (114 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Yates
Nearby Names Like Yates
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Yates
Compare Yates side by side: Yates vs Yatharth Yates vs Yatin Yates vs Yatniel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Yates
Paulino #5683
1,788 births · Peak 1995
Toussaint #5685
527 births · Peak 1972
Redford #5682
223 births · Peak 2025
Lynden #5686
1,492 births · Peak 2014
Othello #5681
687 births · Peak 1923
Daris #5687
1,260 births · Peak 1990
Arsenio #5680
2,207 births · Peak 1989
Lamonte #5688
3,417 births · Peak 1971
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Yates: #5684 Boys' Name - 517 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/yates. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Yates 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 June 2026.