Total births
449
Unisex name · since 1969
Yu
Since 1969, U.S. Social Security records show 449 babies named Yu, peaking in 2002. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12644
- among boys today
- 449
- born since 1969
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Yu currently ranks #12644 among unisex names in America, with 449 babies recorded since 1969.
Yu has 449 recorded births among boys since 1969, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12644 as of the latest data, more common than 12% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1969 to 2025.
- #12644 among boys today
- 449 born since 1969
- 2000s peak decade
- 12% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Yu is currently the #12644 unisex name in America, more common than 12% of boys - 449 born since 1969, peaking in the 2000s.
- #12644
- among boys today
- 449
- born since 1969
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Yu vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12644
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 12% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Yu was born in this single decade.
2002
Single peak year
17 babies were named Yu in 2002 - its busiest year on record.
How Yu compares
449 Top 46% higher than 54% 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
Yu's all-time total is 22% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Yu | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 449 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 17 | 23 | 22,252 |
Yu's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Yu's full recorded timeline at 2002, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1969, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2002 peak of 17 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Yu at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2002
Current rank
#12,644
Active since
1969
Yu popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1969–2025
- Peak year (2002)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 57 years of records
Yu popularity over time - girls
381 total births recorded since 1972 (Yu as girls' name)
Yu by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Yu's strongest decade.
109 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Yu births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 16
1970s
16 births
- 1980s
1980s
76 births
- 1990s
1990s
103 births
- 2000s
2000s
109 births
- 2010s
2010s
88 births
- 2020s
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 109 births (24% of all-time use).
Yu by state
Where Yu concentrates geographically, total births since 1969
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 66 | 14.7% |
| #2 | California | | 17 | 3.8% |
New York share of Yu's total US births 14.7%
Even split
66 of 449 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Yu? ▼
Yu has been given to 449 babies in the U.S. since 1969, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #12644 as of the latest data. 17 babies were born in 2002, its single highest year.
When was Yu most popular? ▼
Yu was most popular in the 2000s decade with 109 total births. The single peak year was 2002.
Where is Yu most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Yu are New York (66 births), California (17 births).
Is Yu a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Yu is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 449 births, and as a girl's name it has 381 births.
How long has the name Yu been used? ▼
Yu has been recorded in Social Security data since 1969, spanning 57 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Yu? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Yusuf, Yusef, Yuri, Yunus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Yu's data
- Yu's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (109 total births) through the 2020s (52) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Yus (66 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Yu
Nearby Names Like Yu
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Yu
Yusuf Boy
#475 11,455 births
Yusef Boy
#1634 3,116 births
Yuri Boy
#1800 2,455 births
Yunus Boy
#1467 1,369 births
Yuvraj Boy
#2548 1,253 births
Compare Yu side by side: Yu vs Yusuf Yu vs Yusef Yu vs Yuri
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Yu
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, 1969–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Yu: #12644 Unisex Name - 449 Births, Peak 2002." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/yu. 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 Yu 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.