Yad
Hebrew name meaning "hand" or "memorial".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Yad. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yad today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yad births was 2015 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yad. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Yad with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Yad. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2015
6 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#12,036
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Yad: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yad by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Yad during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yad
The name Yad has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is believed to have originated in ancient times, dating back to the biblical era. The name Yad is derived from the Hebrew word "yad," which means "hand" or "memorial."
In the Hebrew Bible, the word "yad" appears numerous times, often referring to the hand of God or a physical monument or memorial. The name Yad is thought to have been given to individuals as a symbolic representation of their connection to God or their role in preserving and honoring cultural traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yad can be found in the Book of Exodus, where it is mentioned in the context of the construction of the Tabernacle. Yad ben Achiman is listed as one of the skilled craftsmen who worked on the project.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Yad. One of the most prominent was Yad Avner, a renowned Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 12th century. He was known for his contributions to the fields of theology and Jewish law.
Another significant figure was Yad ben Aharon, a 13th-century rabbi and scholar from Spain. He is remembered for his extensive writings on Jewish law and his efforts to preserve the traditions of the Sephardic Jewish community.
In the 16th century, Yad ben Shulamit was a respected kabbalist and mystic from Safed, Israel. He is credited with preserving and expanding upon the teachings of Jewish mysticism, which had a profound impact on the spiritual practices of the time.
The name Yad also appears in the 18th century, with Yad ben Eliyahu, a prominent rabbi and leader of the Jewish community in Vilna, Lithuania. He was renowned for his dedication to the study and preservation of the Torah and Talmudic teachings.
In more recent times, Yad Vashem, which translates to "a memorial and a name," is the name given to the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. This institution was established in 1953 to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and honor those who risked their lives to save Jews during that period.
People
Yad + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yad as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yad: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yad?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yad going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Yad a common name?
We classify Yad as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yad most popular?
The single biggest year for Yad was 2015, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yad is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Yad in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yad a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yad in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Yad still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yad in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Yad can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Yad?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.