Yazhan
A unisex name with Arabic origins, meaning "to shine" or "to illuminate".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Yazhan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yazhan today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yazhan births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yazhan. 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 Yazhan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Yazhan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2023
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#14,113
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Yazhan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yazhan 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 Yazhan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yazhan
The given name Yazhan originates from the Persian language, with its roots tracing back to ancient Persia, now known as Iran. It is a combination of two Persian words, "yazh" meaning "to worship" and "an" meaning "worthy." The name is believed to have emerged during the pre-Islamic era, around the 6th century CE.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled as "Yazdān," which was a reference to the supreme deity in the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. As the religion spread across the Persian Empire, the name gained popularity among followers and adherents.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yazhan can be found in the Gathas, a collection of sacred hymns from the Zoroastrian faith, composed by the prophet Zoroaster himself, believed to have lived around the 6th century BCE. The name is mentioned in reference to a high-ranking priest or religious figure.
Throughout the centuries, the name Yazhan has been borne by several notable individuals across various fields. One of the most prominent was Yazhan al-Razi, a renowned Persian physician, philosopher, and alchemist who lived during the 9th century CE. He made significant contributions to the field of medicine and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of science.
Another historical figure with the name Yazhan was Yazhan al-Qazvini, a 13th-century Persian geographer and historian. He authored several works, including a comprehensive geographical encyclopedia titled "Athar al-Bilad wa Akhbar al-'Ibad," which provided detailed descriptions of various regions and their inhabitants.
In the realm of literature, Yazhan Firdawsi was a celebrated Persian poet who lived in the 10th century CE. He is best known for his epic masterpiece, the "Shahnameh" (Book of Kings), which chronicles the history and mythology of ancient Persia.
During the Safavid Dynasty in Persia, which ruled from the 16th to the 18th century, the name Yazhan gained further prominence. Yazhan Beg Qaramanlu was a prominent military commander and governor who served under Shah Abbas I, one of the most influential rulers of the Safavid Empire.
Another notable figure was Yazhan Mirza, a prince and governor who lived in the 17th century. He was a member of the Safavid royal family and played a significant role in the political affairs of the empire during his time.
While the name Yazhan has its roots in ancient Persia and the Zoroastrian religion, it has also been adopted by individuals across various cultures and regions influenced by Persian culture and traditions. The name continues to be used in modern times, although its popularity may have waned compared to its historical significance.
People
Yazhan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yazhan 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
Yazhan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yazhan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yazhan 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 Yazhan a common name?
We classify Yazhan 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yazhan most popular?
The single biggest year for Yazhan was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yazhan is about 3 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 Yazhan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yazhan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yazhan in the SSA data are male. 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 Yazhan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yazhan 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 Yazhan 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 common is the name Yazhan?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Yazhan at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.