Yennifer
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Jennifer.
Name Census estimates that about 500 living Americans carry the first name Yennifer. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yennifer today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yennifer births was 2003 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yennifer. 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
500
~ 1 in 685,509 Americans
Peak year
2003
32 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,207
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Yennifer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yennifer from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 221 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yennifer 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 Yennifer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yennifers live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Yennifer, while Florida, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 38 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yennifer
The given name Yennifer has its origins rooted in the ancient Celtic cultures of Western Europe, particularly in regions that today encompass parts of France, England, and Ireland. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Celtic root word *geno, meaning "mouth" or "gaping," and the suffix *-bero, meaning "to carry" or "to bear." Together, the name Yennifer could be interpreted as "one who carries words" or "bearer of speech."
One of the earliest known references to a variant spelling of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle dating back to the 15th century. Here, it appears as "Yenifher," referring to a noble Irish woman who played a role in a local conflict.
Throughout the Middle Ages, various spellings of the name, such as Yeniffer, Jenifer, and Yennipher, were documented across various regions of Western Europe. It was particularly popular among the Celtic aristocracy and was often bestowed upon daughters as a symbol of eloquence and wisdom.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Yennifer de Bayeux, a French noblewoman and renowned scholar, earned recognition for her contributions to the preservation of ancient texts and the promotion of education. Her legacy inspired other families to adopt the name for their daughters.
Another prominent individual bearing the name was Yennifer Fitzwilliam, an English courtier during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century. She was known for her sharp wit and clever wordplay, qualities that were highly valued in the royal court of the time.
Moving forward in history, Yennifer Macleod was a celebrated Scottish poet and playwright who lived in the 17th century. Her works, which often explored themes of love, loss, and the beauty of the Scottish Highlands, were widely acclaimed and contributed to the preservation of the Gaelic language and culture.
In the 19th century, Yennifer Ainsworth, an English social reformer and advocate for women's rights, played a pivotal role in the suffrage movement. Her powerful speeches and writings inspired generations of women to fight for equality and social justice.
Throughout its long history, the name Yennifer has carried a sense of eloquence, wisdom, and the power of words, reflecting its Celtic roots and the various cultures that have embraced it over the centuries.
People
Yennifer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yennifer 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
Yennifer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yennifer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 500 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yennifer 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 685,509 US residents.
Is Yennifer a common name?
We classify Yennifer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 510 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yennifer most popular?
The single biggest year for Yennifer was 2003, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yennifer is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yennifer a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yennifer 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.