Yeager
A masculine name of German origin meaning "hunter" or "huntsman".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Yeager. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yeager today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yeager births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yeager. 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 Yeager. 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
#14,115
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Yeager: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yeager 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 Yeager 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 Yeager
The name Yeager has its origins in the German language, derived from the word "Jäger," which means "hunter" or "huntsman." This name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in Germanic-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in areas where hunting was a common occupation or pastime.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yeager can be found in the records of the Holy Roman Empire, where it was used to refer to individuals who were skilled in hunting and tracking game. The name's association with hunting and the outdoors may have contributed to its popularity among those who lived in rural or forested areas.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Yeager Ritter von Yeager (1490-1560) was a renowned huntsman and falconer in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. His exploits and expertise in hunting were well-documented, and his name became synonymous with skill and prowess in this field.
Moving forward to the 17th century, another notable figure named Yeager Hans (1610-1680) was a German adventurer and explorer who ventured into the unexplored regions of North America. His travels and encounters with Native American tribes were recorded in his journals, which provided valuable insights into the natural world and the indigenous cultures of the time.
In the realm of literature, the name Yeager appeared in the writings of the German poet and philosopher Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805). In his poem "Der Jäger" (The Hunter), Schiller romanticized the life of a huntsman named Yeager, capturing the solitude and connection with nature that the name evoked.
Another famous individual bearing the name Yeager was Chuck Yeager (1923-2020), an American aviator who became the first person to break the sound barrier in level flight. His achievements as a test pilot and his courage in pushing the boundaries of aviation have made him an iconic figure in the history of flight.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Yeager throughout history, each contributing to its cultural significance and association with hunting, exploration, and a connection to the natural world.
People
Yeager + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yeager 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
Yeager: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yeager?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yeager 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 Yeager a common name?
We classify Yeager 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 Yeager most popular?
The single biggest year for Yeager was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yeager 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 Yeager in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yeager a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yeager 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 Yeager still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yeager 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 Yeager 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 have the name Yeager?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Yeager, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.