Yashica
A Japanese feminine name with uncertain meaning, possibly from "yasashi" meaning gentle or graceful.
Name Census estimates that about 968 living Americans carry the first name Yashica. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yashica today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yashica births was 1979 (116 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yashica. 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 Yashica with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
968
~ 1 in 354,085 Americans
Peak year
1979
116 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,409
Tracked since 1969
Census
Yashica in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 901 people with the first name Yashica, which placed it at #13,414 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#13,414
National first-name rank
People counted
901
901 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
83.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yashica
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Yashica is Black at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Yashica described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Yashica at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.1% · 749
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.5% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 23
- Two or more races2.2% · 20
- White1.1% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Popularity
Yashica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yashica from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 600 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yashica 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 Yashica during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yashicas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Georgia, Florida, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Yashica, while Virginia, California, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yashica
Yashica is a given name of Japanese origin, believed to have emerged during the Heian period (794-1185 CE) in Japan. The name is derived from the Japanese words "ya" meaning "arrow" and "shika" meaning "deer," suggesting a connection to archery or hunting.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yashica can be found in the Genji Monogatari, a classic work of Japanese literature written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century. In this work, a minor character named Yashica is mentioned, indicating the name's usage during that era.
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), a notable figure named Yashica no Tsubone (1179-1237) served as a court lady and confidante to the influential Hojo regent, Masako. Yashica no Tsubone played a significant role in the political affairs of the time and is remembered for her wisdom and influence.
In the 15th century, a renowned calligrapher and artist named Yashica Kenko (1424-1493) gained recognition for her exceptional works, which are still admired today. Her calligraphic masterpieces adorned the walls of various temples and shrines across Japan, showcasing her artistic prowess.
During the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), a renowned samurai warrior named Yashica Tokugawa (1607-1678) distinguished himself in numerous battles. He was known for his bravery, tactical brilliance, and unwavering loyalty to the Tokugawa shogunate.
In more recent history, Yashica Yamamoto (1889-1962) was a pioneering feminist and political activist who advocated for women's rights and gender equality in Japan during the early 20th century. She played a crucial role in the suffrage movement and inspired generations of women to fight for their rights.
While the name Yashica has its roots in ancient Japan, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, albeit less commonly. The name's unique blend of Japanese elements and meaning has contributed to its enduring appeal across generations.
People
Yashica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yashica 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
Yashica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yashica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 968 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yashica 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 354,085 US residents.
Is Yashica a common name?
We classify Yashica as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,048 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yashica most popular?
The single biggest year for Yashica was 1979, when 116 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yashica is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Yashica in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 901 people with the name Yashica, or 0.30 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #13,414 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Yashica in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Yashica?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Yashica appears almost entirely female. Of the 898 people counted with this name, 99.4% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Yashica?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Yashica is Black at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Yashica most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Yashica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (749 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Yashica in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yashica a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yashica 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 Yashica still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yashica 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 Yashica 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.
How many people are named Yashica?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.