Yari
Japanese given name meaning "spear" or "anchor".
Name Census estimates that about 593 living Americans carry the first name Yari. It is a predominantly female name (90.5% of registrations). The average person named Yari today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yari births was 2024 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yari. 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
593
~ 1 in 578,001 Americans
Peak year
2024
52 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,628
Tracked since 1980
Gender
Gender distribution for Yari
Yari leans heavily female at 90.5% of total registrations, but 57 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Yari as a male name
- Ranked #8,921 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (9 births)
Yari as a female name
- Ranked #3,628 in 2024
- 43 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (43 births)
Popularity
Yari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yari from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 205 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
Yari 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 Yari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yaris live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Georgia, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Yari, while Maryland, Florida, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yari
The name Yari is believed to have its origins in the Japanese language and culture. It is thought to be derived from the Japanese word "yari," which means "spear" or "javelin." The name likely originated during the feudal period in Japan, when samurai warriors and their weapons played a significant role in society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yari can be found in the Japanese historical text "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East), which dates back to the 13th century. This chronicle of the Kamakura period mentions a warrior named Yari no Munetaka, who served under the famous shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo.
Yari has also been associated with Japanese mythology and folklore. In the Shinto religion, there is a deity known as Yari-no-Kaminari-no-Kami, which translates to "the God of the Spear and Thunder." This deity is believed to be a protector of warriors and is often depicted holding a spear.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Yari. One of the most famous was Yari Kawashima (1830-1885), a Japanese samurai and military strategist who played a crucial role in the Boshin War, which led to the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of imperial rule in Japan.
Another prominent figure was Yari Dokugan (1642-1714), a renowned Japanese Zen Buddhist monk and calligrapher. His calligraphic works are highly revered and have been preserved in various temples and museums across Japan.
In the field of literature, Yari Kikuchi (1904-1980) was a celebrated Japanese novelist and poet. His works often explored themes of modernization and cultural identity in post-war Japan, earning him numerous literary awards and recognition.
Yari Suzuki (1922-2013) was a renowned Japanese scientist and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of liquid crystal display (LCD) technology. His groundbreaking research paved the way for the widespread use of LCD screens in various electronic devices.
Lastly, Yari Ogawa (1936-2008) was a Japanese actor and voice actor who had a prolific career spanning over five decades. He is particularly remembered for his roles in popular anime series and films, including his portrayal of Goku in the iconic "Dragon Ball" franchise.
People
Yari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yari 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
Yari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 593 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yari 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 578,001 US residents.
Is Yari a common name?
We classify Yari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 599 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yari most popular?
The single biggest year for Yari was 2024, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yari is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yari a female name?
Yes, 90.5% of people registered as Yari 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.