Yamina
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "toward the right hand".
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the first name Yamina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yamina today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yamina births was 1995 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yamina. 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.
People living today
183
~ 1 in 1,872,975 Americans
Peak year
1995
11 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,534
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Yamina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yamina from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 55 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Yamina remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yamina 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 Yamina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yamina
The name Yamina is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "yamin," which means "right hand" or "blessed." It is a feminine name that has been used primarily in the Middle East and North Africa for centuries.
In the Arabic language, the right hand symbolizes strength, power, and blessings. Thus, the name Yamina carries connotations of auspiciousness and good fortune. It is believed that the name first emerged during the early Islamic era, around the 7th century AD, when Arabic culture and language were spreading across the region.
While the name Yamina does not appear explicitly in religious texts or ancient scriptures, it has been a popular choice among Arab communities for generations. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to medieval times, when it was used by notable figures in various fields.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Yamina was Yamina bint Abi Hashim (born around 810 AD), a renowned poet and scholar from Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate. Her literary works and contributions to Arabic literature have been celebrated throughout history.
Another notable figure was Yamina bint Al-Muqaddam (1091-1163), a Moroccan scholar and mystic who played a significant role in the development of Sufism in North Africa. Her teachings and writings have greatly influenced Islamic spirituality and philosophy.
In more recent history, Yamina Rachid (1910-2013) was a prominent Algerian activist and feminist who fought for women's rights and independence during the Algerian War. Her unwavering commitment to social justice and equality made her an iconic figure in Algeria's struggle for liberation.
Yamina Bakiri (born 1959) is a renowned Algerian novelist and playwright, whose works explore themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of women in modern Algerian society. Her literary contributions have earned her numerous awards and international recognition.
Yamina Benguigui (born 1959) is a French filmmaker and activist of Algerian descent. Her documentary and feature films often focus on the lives of immigrant communities and the challenges they face, shedding light on important social and cultural issues.
These are just a few examples of influential individuals who have borne the name Yamina throughout history, each contributing to their respective fields and leaving a lasting impact on their communities and societies.
People
Yamina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yamina 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
Yamina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yamina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 183 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yamina 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 1,872,975 US residents.
Is Yamina a common name?
We classify Yamina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 187 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yamina most popular?
The single biggest year for Yamina was 1995, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yamina is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yamina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yamina in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.