Yavonne
A French feminine name derived from the Hebrew name Yochannah, meaning "God is gracious."
Name Census estimates that about 187 living Americans carry the first name Yavonne. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yavonne today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yavonne births was 1967 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yavonne. 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
187
~ 1 in 1,832,911 Americans
Peak year
1967
14 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1988 SSA rank
#13,856
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Yavonne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yavonne from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 69 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1960s peak, Yavonne remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yavonne 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 Yavonne 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 Yavonne
The given name Yavonne has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, tracing back to the ancient biblical era. It is a variant of the Hebrew name Yavannah, which itself is derived from the Hebrew word yavan, meaning "Greece" or "Ionia." The name's earliest roots are believed to be associated with the Ionian Greeks who inhabited parts of ancient Anatolia, which is now modern-day Turkey.
In the Hebrew Bible, the name Yavannah appears in several passages, including Genesis 10:2-5, where it is mentioned as the name of one of the sons of Japheth, the son of Noah. This biblical reference suggests that the name Yavonne has a long and storied history, dating back to the earliest recorded texts of the Abrahamic religions.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Yavonne can be found in the writings of the 1st-century Jewish historian Josephus, who mentions a woman named Yavonne in his work "The Jewish War." This historical account provides evidence of the name's use during the Roman era.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Yavonne. One such figure was Yavonne of Arles (1248-1306), a French noblewoman and abbess who played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of her time. Another notable Yavonne was Yavonne de Bourbon (1438-1483), a French princess and the daughter of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon.
In the realm of literature, the name Yavonne appears in the works of the 16th-century English playwright William Shakespeare. In his play "The Merchant of Venice," one of the characters is referred to as Yavonne, though it is unclear whether this was intended as a given name or a reference to the region of Ionia.
Another historical figure bearing the name Yavonne was Yavonne de Navarre (1572-1642), a Spanish noblewoman and writer who is remembered for her contributions to the literary and intellectual circles of her time. In more recent history, Yavonne Baez (1941-), an American folk singer and activist, has carried on the legacy of this name.
While the name Yavonne has its roots in ancient Hebrew and Greek cultures, it has been adopted and adapted across various regions and languages over the centuries, reflecting the rich tapestry of human history and cultural exchange.
People
Yavonne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yavonne 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
Yavonne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yavonne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 187 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yavonne 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 1,832,911 US residents.
Is Yavonne a common name?
We classify Yavonne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 216 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yavonne most popular?
The single biggest year for Yavonne was 1967, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yavonne is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yavonne a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yavonne 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.