Yen
A Vietnamese feminine name literally meaning "peace" or "tranquility".
Name Census estimates that about 587 living Americans carry the first name Yen. It is a predominantly female name (92.3% of registrations). The average person named Yen today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yen births was 1982 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yen. 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
587
~ 1 in 583,909 Americans
Peak year
1982
33 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2019 SSA rank
#14,047
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Yen
Yen leans heavily female at 92.3% of total registrations, but 47 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Yen as a male name
- Ranked #14,047 in 2019
- 5 male births in 2019
- Peak: 1988 (7 births)
Yen as a female name
- Ranked #17,660 in 2022
- 5 female births in 2022
- Peak: 1982 (33 births)
Popularity
Yen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yen from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 265 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
Yen 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 Yen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yen
The name Yen originates from the Chinese language and has its roots in the ancient Chinese culture. It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "yuán," which means "source" or "origin." The name's earliest recorded use dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 256 BC) in ancient China.
During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), the name Yen gained popularity among the Chinese nobility and scholars. It was often associated with individuals who were considered intellectuals or philosophers. One notable figure from this period was Yen Hui, a prominent philosopher and devoted student of Confucius.
In ancient Chinese literature, the name Yen appeared in various philosophical and historical texts, including the Analects of Confucius. This further solidified its reputation as a name associated with wisdom and scholarly pursuits.
As the Chinese culture spread across Asia, the name Yen also found its way into other regions, such as Japan and Korea. In Japan, the name was transcribed as "En," and it maintained a similar meaning of "source" or "origin."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yen. One of the earliest recorded figures was Yen Huan (fl. 715-785 AD), a renowned Chinese calligrapher and poet during the Tang Dynasty. Another prominent individual was Yen Ying (c. 574-645 AD), a high-ranking minister and chancellor during the Tang Dynasty.
In more recent times, Yen Fu (1854-1921) was a prominent Chinese scholar and translator who introduced Western philosophical works to China. He played a significant role in the intellectual and cultural renaissance of the late Qing Dynasty.
Yen Hsi-shan (1883-1949) was a Chinese warlord and military leader who controlled the Shanxi province during the early 20th century. He played a crucial role in the complex political dynamics of that era.
Yen Baet (1920-2012) was a renowned Dutch artist and sculptor known for his abstract and minimalist works. His contributions to the art world spanned several decades, and he gained international recognition for his unique style.
People
Yen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yen 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
Yen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 587 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yen 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 583,909 US residents.
Is Yen a common name?
We classify Yen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 611 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yen most popular?
The single biggest year for Yen was 1982, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yen is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yen a female name?
Yes, 92.3% of people registered as Yen 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.