Yaniah
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly Hebrew meaning "God's gift".
Name Census estimates that about 95 living Americans carry the first name Yaniah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yaniah today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yaniah births was 2011 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yaniah. 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 Yaniah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
95
~ 1 in 3,607,940 Americans
Peak year
2011
13 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2014 SSA rank
#19,105
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Yaniah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yaniah from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 61 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Yaniah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yaniah 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 Yaniah 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 Yaniah
The name Yaniah is a relatively modern invention, likely derived from the Hebrew name Yannah or Yanah, which means "God is gracious" or "favor of God." Its origins can be traced back to the early 20th century, though there are no known historical references or ancient texts that mention this particular spelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yaniah dates back to the late 1960s. Yaniah Amani Okiya, a Nigerian-American writer and poet, was born in 1968 and is known for her works exploring themes of identity, culture, and social justice. She has published several collections of poetry and has been recognized with various awards and honors.
Another notable figure with the name Yaniah is Yaniah Pearl Pearson, an American actress and model born in 1991. She has appeared in various television shows and films, including roles in the series "Empire" and the movie "Sleight."
In the realm of sports, Yaniah Barnett is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events. Born in 1998, she has represented the United States in international competitions and has won several medals at the youth and junior levels.
Yaniah Simone Caldwell, born in 1995, is an American singer and songwriter. She has gained recognition for her soulful vocals and has released several singles and an extended play (EP) album.
Yaniah Faye Pearson, born in 2007, is a British actress known for her role as Cora Milburn in the popular Netflix series "Bridgerton." Despite her young age, she has already garnered praise for her acting skills and has been nominated for several awards.
While the name Yaniah is relatively uncommon, it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly in the United States and parts of Europe. Its unique spelling and melodic sound have contributed to its appeal among parents seeking distinctive and meaningful names for their children.
People
Yaniah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yaniah 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
Yaniah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yaniah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 95 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yaniah 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 3,607,940 US residents.
Is Yaniah a common name?
We classify Yaniah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 96 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yaniah most popular?
The single biggest year for Yaniah was 2011, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yaniah is about 18 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 Yaniah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yaniah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yaniah 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.
Is Yaniah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yaniah 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 Yaniah 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 people are called Yaniah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.