Yayeko
A feminine Japanese name meaning "child of the double world".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Yayeko. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yayeko today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yayeko births was 1922 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yayeko. 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 Yayeko. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#5,001
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Yayeko: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yayeko from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 6 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
Yayeko 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 Yayeko during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yayekos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yayeko
The name Yayeko is believed to have originated in Japan, with its roots tracing back to the 8th century AD. It is thought to be derived from the Japanese words "yaya," meaning "gentle," and "ko," which is a common suffix used for female names. The name Yayeko thus carries the meaning of "gentle child" or "gentle daughter."
During the Heian period (794-1185 AD) in Japan, the name Yayeko was particularly popular among the aristocratic class. It is mentioned in several literary works from this era, including poetry collections and historical records. One notable figure bearing this name was Yayeko no Nariko, a renowned court lady and poet who lived during the 10th century.
In the 12th century, a Buddhist nun named Yayeko gained recognition for her calligraphic skills and her role in preserving important religious texts. Her contributions to the arts and culture of the time were significant, and her name was recorded in various monastic chronicles.
The name Yayeko also appears in several Noh plays and Kabuki performances, which were traditional Japanese theatrical forms that emerged in the 14th and 17th centuries, respectively. These artistic works often featured characters with names that reflected the ideals of grace and gentleness, which aligned with the meaning of Yayeko.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Yayeko was Yayeko Ikeda (1601-1669), a Japanese noblewoman and the wife of the famous daimyo (feudal lord) Mitsunari Ishida. Her life and role during the turbulent Sengoku period were well-documented in contemporary records.
Another prominent figure was Yayeko Matsudaira (1611-1670), the daughter of the powerful Tokugawa shogun Hidetada Tokugawa. She played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of the early Edo period, and her name is recorded in various family histories and official documents.
While the name Yayeko was more commonly used in ancient and medieval Japan, it has continued to appear throughout Japanese history, albeit less frequently in modern times. The name's association with gentleness and refinement has made it a cherished part of Japan's onomastic heritage.
People
Yayeko + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yayeko 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
Yayeko: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yayeko?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yayeko 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 - US residents.
Is Yayeko a common name?
We classify Yayeko as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yayeko most popular?
The single biggest year for Yayeko was 1922, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yayeko is about 0 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 Yayeko in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yayeko a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yayeko 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 Yayeko still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yayeko 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 Yayeko 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 named Yayeko?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.