Young
Young was last recorded in 2022, when 6 babies were given it; 2,764 Americans have been recorded with it between 1880 and 2022 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 1,720 Americans named Young and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (62% of everyone recorded); the median is 43 years old and half are between 33 and 57.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Young by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Young mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Young is “a British distinguishing surname transferred from the nickname for the younger of two people having the same given name.”
As an English, Scottish, and northern Irish surname, from the adjective young, used to distinguish a younger brother or son. This sense is comparable to the surnames le Yunge, German Jong and Junk, Dutch Jong and de Jongh, French Lejeune and LaJeunesse, assimilated from Dion and Guyon.
As a Chinese surname, from the following: ** Cantonese 楊 /杨 (joeng⁴). Doublet of Yeung. ** Hokkien 楊 /杨 (iông / iâng). Doublet of Yu, Yeo, Yeoh. ** Mandarin 楊 /杨 (yáng). Doublet of Yang.
/jʌŋ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Young?
Unranked in 2025
Its last boys’ rank on record is #12,280, in 2022; SSA lists a name only in years with 5 or more births.
60 babies in 1991, the peak
Young peaked in 1991, when 60 babies were given it (42 boys, #1,888 among boys’ names). It was not recorded in 2025.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | under 5 | 6 | #12,280 | |
| 2021 | under 5 | 8 | #9,676 | |
| 2018 | under 5 | 13 | #6,689 | |
| 2017 | under 5 | 6 | #12,198 | |
| 2016 | under 5 | 5 | #14,135 | |
| 2015 | under 5 | 12 | #7,047 | |
| 2014 | under 5 | 9 | #8,754 | |
| 2013 | under 5 | 8 | #9,628 | |
| 2012 | under 5 | 10 | #8,125 | |
| 2010 | under 5 | 6 | #12,171 |
Every recorded year (137)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | under 5 | 8 | #9,838 | |
| 2008 | under 5 | 9 | #8,995 | |
| 2007 | under 5 | 11 | #7,569 | |
| 2005 | under 5 | 11 | #7,079 | |
| 2004 | under 5 | 11 | #6,954 | |
| 2003 | under 5 | 11 | #6,698 | |
| 2002 | under 5 | 13 | #5,708 | |
| 2001 | under 5 | 9 | #7,513 | |
| 2000 | under 5 | 22 | #3,754 | |
| 1999 | under 5 | 25 | #3,273 | |
| 1998 | 5 | #16,546 | 22 | #3,480 |
| 1997 | 8 | #10,813 | 38 | #2,254 |
| 1996 | 5 | #15,842 | 24 | #3,101 |
| 1995 | 8 | #10,498 | 31 | #2,493 |
| 1994 | 6 | #13,407 | 42 | #2,006 |
| 1993 | 15 | #6,254 | 29 | #2,568 |
| 1992 | 13 | #7,059 | 36 | #2,168 |
| 1991 | 18 | #5,391 | 42 | #1,888 |
| 1990 | 14 | #6,454 | 31 | #2,301 |
| 1989 | 11 | #7,438 | 33 | #2,144 |
| 1988 | 9 | #8,379 | 26 | #2,360 |
| 1987 | 12 | #6,326 | 16 | #3,194 |
| 1986 | 13 | #5,752 | 32 | #1,914 |
| 1985 | 15 | #5,072 | 29 | #2,017 |
| 1984 | 10 | #6,803 | 38 | #1,604 |
| 1983 | 19 | #4,106 | 29 | #1,903 |
| 1982 | 9 | #7,462 | 37 | #1,651 |
| 1981 | 16 | #4,743 | 39 | #1,575 |
| 1980 | 12 | #5,907 | 21 | #2,441 |
| 1979 | 11 | #6,184 | 31 | #1,832 |
| 1978 | 13 | #5,211 | 30 | #1,793 |
| 1977 | 11 | #5,881 | 18 | #2,554 |
| 1976 | 9 | #6,602 | 26 | #1,930 |
| 1975 | 13 | #4,848 | 30 | #1,702 |
| 1974 | 7 | #7,672 | 21 | #2,127 |
| 1973 | 7 | #7,427 | 21 | #2,032 |
| 1972 | 6 | #8,275 | 22 | #1,965 |
| 1971 | 8 | #6,613 | 20 | #2,122 |
| 1970 | under 5 | 14 | #2,618 | |
| 1969 | 12 | #4,415 | 17 | #2,127 |
| 1968 | under 5 | 20 | #1,833 | |
| 1967 | 6 | #6,795 | 5 | #4,544 |
| 1966 | under 5 | 9 | #2,980 | |
| 1965 | 8 | #5,283 | 12 | #2,472 |
| 1964 | 11 | #4,352 | 11 | #2,663 |
| 1963 | 6 | #6,582 | 14 | #2,298 |
| 1962 | 6 | #6,573 | 12 | #2,500 |
| 1961 | 6 | #6,562 | 16 | #2,145 |
| 1960 | 7 | #5,689 | 14 | #2,313 |
| 1959 | 11 | #4,028 | 11 | #2,658 |
| 1958 | 10 | #4,187 | 13 | #2,367 |
| 1957 | 5 | #7,002 | 16 | #2,090 |
| 1956 | 8 | #4,833 | 15 | #2,166 |
| 1955 | 7 | #5,201 | 17 | #1,977 |
| 1954 | 11 | #3,716 | 20 | #1,760 |
| 1953 | 9 | #4,223 | 12 | #2,389 |
| 1952 | 16 | #2,801 | 14 | #2,151 |
| 1951 | 8 | #4,381 | 11 | #2,493 |
| 1950 | 8 | #4,309 | 18 | #1,813 |
| 1949 | 7 | #4,666 | 14 | #2,121 |
| 1948 | 6 | #5,237 | 19 | #1,756 |
| 1947 | 8 | #4,338 | 18 | #1,848 |
| 1946 | 5 | #5,680 | 17 | #1,810 |
| 1945 | under 5 | 6 | #3,335 | |
| 1944 | 7 | #4,046 | 17 | #1,736 |
| 1943 | under 5 | 19 | #1,697 | |
| 1942 | 6 | #4,616 | 10 | #2,521 |
| 1941 | under 5 | 12 | #2,206 | |
| 1940 | under 5 | 13 | #2,080 | |
| 1939 | under 5 | 11 | #2,286 | |
| 1938 | 5 | #4,987 | 14 | #1,975 |
| 1937 | under 5 | 8 | #2,903 | |
| 1936 | 5 | #4,849 | 21 | #1,504 |
| 1935 | 5 | #4,885 | 17 | #1,755 |
| 1934 | under 5 | 14 | #2,020 | |
| 1933 | under 5 | 19 | #1,643 | |
| 1932 | 7 | #3,893 | 14 | #2,098 |
| 1931 | under 5 | 17 | #1,842 | |
| 1930 | under 5 | 23 | #1,558 | |
| 1929 | 6 | #4,560 | 14 | #2,197 |
| 1928 | under 5 | 16 | #2,046 | |
| 1927 | under 5 | 23 | #1,646 | |
| 1926 | under 5 | 18 | #1,910 | |
| 1925 | under 5 | 18 | #1,932 | |
| 1924 | under 5 | 21 | #1,775 | |
| 1923 | under 5 | 25 | #1,550 | |
| 1922 | under 5 | 32 | #1,307 | |
| 1921 | under 5 | 23 | #1,646 | |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,754 | 21 | #1,746 |
| 1919 | under 5 | 22 | #1,621 | |
| 1918 | under 5 | 25 | #1,497 | |
| 1917 | under 5 | 30 | #1,263 | |
| 1916 | under 5 | 21 | #1,591 | |
| 1915 | under 5 | 16 | #1,876 | |
| 1914 | under 5 | 18 | #1,489 | |
| 1913 | under 5 | 11 | #1,799 | |
| 1912 | under 5 | 15 | #1,265 | |
| 1911 | under 5 | 12 | #1,036 | |
| 1910 | under 5 | 7 | #1,417 | |
| 1909 | under 5 | 7 | #1,274 | |
| 1908 | under 5 | 6 | #1,370 | |
| 1907 | under 5 | 8 | #1,092 | |
| 1904 | under 5 | 6 | #1,202 | |
| 1903 | under 5 | 5 | #1,303 | |
| 1902 | under 5 | 11 | #741 | |
| 1901 | under 5 | 5 | #1,208 | |
| 1900 | under 5 | 8 | #1,047 | |
| 1899 | under 5 | 5 | #1,199 | |
| 1898 | under 5 | 7 | #999 | |
| 1897 | under 5 | 9 | #785 | |
| 1896 | under 5 | 6 | #1,098 | |
| 1895 | under 5 | 8 | #870 | |
| 1894 | under 5 | 5 | #1,238 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 6 | #1,030 | |
| 1892 | under 5 | 7 | #953 | |
| 1891 | under 5 | 6 | #959 | |
| 1890 | under 5 | 7 | #882 | |
| 1889 | under 5 | 10 | #672 | |
| 1888 | under 5 | 6 | #1,028 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 12 | #543 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 10 | #646 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 10 | #640 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 11 | #611 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 12 | #555 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 9 | #690 | |
| 1881 | under 5 | 9 | #652 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 14 | #504 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Young a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 2,764 Americans recorded as Young, 19% are girls and 81% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Young: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Young, and how old are they?
1,720 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 62% of the 2,764 Americans ever recorded as Young. The median Young alive today is 43 years old; half are between 33 and 57.
The 2020 Census counted 22,168 people named Young (11,936 women and girls, 10,232 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 1,815 born in the U.S. The Census count is 12.2 times that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 59 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 304 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 398 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 676 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 215 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 66 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Young born?
The states with the most babies named Young are Kansas, California and New York, with 85% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Kansas is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 231 | not ranked | 7.5× |
| California | 192 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| New York | 40 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Georgia | 27 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Alabama | 23 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Texas | 22 | not ranked | 0.1× |
| Hawaii | 12 | not ranked | 1.1× |
Where Young is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Young is most over-represented in Kansas: since 1910 it was given 7.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Young with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 4,051 babies since 1880, Young is the most given (68% of them).
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Young
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
| Name | Recorded | 1880-2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Ira | 62,535 |
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Young and names like it
- Compare Young and YengBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1990sYoung peaked in 1991.
- Kansas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Young since 1910.
- The top names of 1991The year the most babies were named Young.
- The names of the MillennialsMost people named Young alive today were born 1981-1996.
- Names starting with YMost given first.