Yanal
An Arabic masculine name meaning "having high ambitions" or "aspiring".
Name Census estimates that about 49 living Americans carry the first name Yanal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yanal today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yanal births was 2018 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yanal. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Yanal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
49
~ 1 in 6,994,986 Americans
Peak year
2018
8 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,242
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Yanal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yanal from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 25 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yanal 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 Yanal 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 Yanal
The name Yanal is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with roots tracing back to the Middle Eastern region during the medieval period. It is derived from the Arabic word "yana'l," which means "to flow" or "to pour forth." This suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of abundance, fertility, or the flow of water, which held great significance in many ancient cultures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yanal can be found in ancient Arabic texts and manuscripts from the 9th century AD. During this time, the name was often given to children born near rivers or oases, as a symbol of life and prosperity. It was also occasionally used as a descriptive term for individuals known for their generosity or kindness.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Yanal. One such individual was Yanal al-Bukhari, a renowned Islamic scholar and poet who lived in the 11th century AD (1012-1085). He was widely celebrated for his contributions to Arabic literature and his works on Sufism, a mystical tradition within Islam.
Another prominent figure was Yanal al-Din al-Razi, a Persian polymath who lived in the 12th century AD (1149-1209). He made significant contributions to various fields, including physics, philosophy, and medicine, and is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Islamic Golden Age.
In the 14th century AD, Yanal al-Amir was a respected military commander and statesman who served in the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria. His strategic leadership and diplomatic skills played a crucial role in the defense of the region against invading forces.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Yanal was also used by several notable figures, such as Yanal Pasha, a high-ranking Ottoman official and governor who lived in the 16th century AD (1520-1587). He was known for his administrative skills and his efforts in promoting education and cultural development in the regions under his governance.
Another historical figure worth mentioning is Yanal al-Qadri, a Sufi mystic and scholar who lived in the 17th century AD (1617-1672). He was revered for his spiritual teachings and his contributions to the study of Islamic mysticism, leaving behind a legacy of influential writings and a devoted following.
While the name Yanal has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has been adopted and used in various regions throughout history, reflecting the diverse influences and interactions between different civilizations and belief systems.
People
Yanal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yanal 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
Yanal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yanal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 49 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yanal 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 6,994,986 US residents.
Is Yanal a common name?
We classify Yanal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yanal most popular?
The single biggest year for Yanal was 2018, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yanal is about 6 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 Yanal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yanal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yanal 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 Yanal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yanal 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 Yanal 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 common is the name Yanal?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Yanal at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.