Yee
A Chinese surname or a masculine given name meaning "first" or "excellent".
Name Census estimates that about 407 living Americans carry the first name Yee. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.2% of registrations being male. The average person named Yee today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yee births was 1990 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yee. 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
407
~ 1 in 842,148 Americans
Peak year
1990
32 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2000 SSA rank
#7,392
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Yee
Yee is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 483 total registrations, 281 (58.2%) were male and 202 (41.8%) were female.
Yee as a male name
- Ranked #7,392 in 2000
- 9 male births in 2000
- Peak: 1989 (18 births)
Yee as a female name
- Ranked #10,811 in 1997
- 8 female births in 1997
- Peak: 1990 (16 births)
Popularity
Yee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yee from the 1880s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 206 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yee 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 Yee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Wisconsin, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Yee, while Minnesota, Wisconsin, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 48 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yee
The given name Yee has its origins in Chinese culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese character "yi," which means "righteous" or "upright." This name was particularly popular in regions of China where Cantonese and other Yue Chinese dialects were spoken.
In ancient Chinese literature, the name Yee can be found in various philosophical and historical texts. For instance, there are references to figures with this name in the Analects of Confucius, a collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the renowned philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC).
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Yee was Yee Fung, a renowned scholar and calligrapher who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). His calligraphic works are still celebrated and studied by artists and historians today.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a notable figure named Yee Xingao gained recognition for his contributions to mathematics and astronomy. He is credited with improving the Chinese calendar system and making significant advancements in the field of celestial mechanics.
In more recent history, Yee Pang Yau, a prominent Hong Kong entrepreneur and philanthropist (1917-2016), left a lasting impact on the business world and charitable initiatives in the region.
Another individual of note is Yee Chiang, a Chinese-American mathematician (1936-2022) who made groundbreaking contributions to the field of differential geometry and was recognized with various prestigious awards, including the prestigious Wolf Prize in Mathematics.
Yee Ling, a renowned Chinese actress and singer (1937-2018), was a celebrated cultural icon who starred in numerous films and television shows, captivating audiences with her talent and charisma throughout her illustrious career.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the given name Yee, showcasing its rich cultural heritage and the diverse contributions of those who have borne this name across various fields.
People
Yee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yee 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
Yee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 407 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yee 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 842,148 US residents.
Is Yee a common name?
We classify Yee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 483 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yee most popular?
The single biggest year for Yee was 1990, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yee is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yee a male name?
Yes, 58.2% of people registered as Yee 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.
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.