Yayoi
A feminine Japanese name meaning "night bird; quail" or "born in March/April".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Yayoi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yayoi today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yayoi births was 1925 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yayoi. 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 Yayoi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1925
6 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1992 SSA rank
#15,582
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Yayoi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yayoi from the 1920s through to the 1990s, 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
Yayoi 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 Yayoi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yayois live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yayoi
The name Yayoi originates from Japan and has its roots in the Yayoi period, a time of significant cultural development in Japanese history from around 300 BC to 300 AD. This era was marked by the introduction of rice cultivation, metalworking, and other advancements that shaped Japanese society.
The word "Yayoi" itself is believed to derive from an ancient Japanese word meaning "prosperous" or "bountiful," reflecting the agricultural and cultural prosperity of that era. It is a name that evokes a sense of growth, abundance, and the fertile beginnings of Japanese civilization.
While the Yayoi period is the primary historical reference for the name, it has also been mentioned in various ancient Japanese texts and records, further cementing its connection to the country's rich cultural heritage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yayoi can be found in the "Kojiki," a historical chronicle dating back to 712 AD, which chronicles the mythological origins of Japan and its imperial dynasty.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Yayoi, including:
1. Yayoi Kusama (born 1929), a renowned Japanese contemporary artist known for her immersive installations, paintings, and sculptural works featuring polka dots and other repetitive patterns.
2. Yayoi Aoki (born 1975), a Japanese actress and singer who has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and stage productions.
3. Yayoi Hirano (1923-2014), a Japanese novelist and poet who wrote extensively about the experiences of women during and after World War II.
4. Yayoi Daidohji (born 1969), a Japanese voice actress known for her work in anime series such as "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Sailor Moon."
5. Yayoi Matsunaga (1892-1967), a Japanese feminist and educator who advocated for women's rights and played a significant role in the development of girls' education in Japan.
These individuals, among others, have carried the name Yayoi throughout different eras and fields, contributing to its enduring legacy and cultural significance in Japan.
People
Yayoi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yayoi 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
Yayoi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yayoi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yayoi 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Yayoi a common name?
We classify Yayoi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Yayoi most popular?
The single biggest year for Yayoi was 1925, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yayoi is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yayoi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yayoi 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.