Yentel
A Yiddish variant of the Hebrew name Yechiel, meaning "God will live".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Yentel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yentel today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yentel births was 1985 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yentel. 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 Yentel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1985
7 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1985 SSA rank
#9,296
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Yentel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yentel 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 Yentel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yentel
The given name Yentel is a Yiddish variant of the Hebrew name Yentl, which is derived from the Hebrew word "chein" meaning "grace" or "charm." This name has its roots in the Ashkenazi Jewish culture, which originated in Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Yentel can be traced back to the 16th century in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It was a popular name among Yiddish-speaking Jews during this time period, particularly in the shtetls (small Jewish towns) of Eastern Europe.
In the 17th century, the name Yentel gained prominence through its association with the famous Yiddish writer and scholar, Yentel Gottlieb (1648-1721). She was known for her works on Jewish ethics and philosophy, and her writings influenced many Jewish intellectuals of her time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Yentel was Yentel Radomsker (1805-1876), a renowned Polish-Jewish mystic and Hasidic rebbe. She was revered for her spiritual teachings and her ability to interpret dreams and offer guidance to her followers.
In the 19th century, the name Yentel gained wider recognition through the character of Yentel in Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story "Yentel the Yeshiva Boy." The story, published in 1962, tells the tale of a young woman who disguises herself as a man to study Talmudic teachings in a yeshiva (Jewish seminary).
One of the most famous Yentels in recent history was Yentel Feldman (1920-2003), a Holocaust survivor and author. She wrote several memoirs detailing her experiences during World War II and her journey to rebuild her life after the war.
Another notable figure was Yentel Levin (1888-1971), a Russian-born American labor activist and journalist. She played a significant role in the labor movement in the early 20th century and advocated for workers' rights and fair wages.
While the name Yentel has its roots in the Jewish tradition, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds worldwide. However, its usage remains relatively uncommon, and it continues to hold a strong connection to its Yiddish and Hebrew origins.
People
Yentel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yentel 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
Yentel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yentel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yentel 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Yentel a common name?
We classify Yentel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yentel most popular?
The single biggest year for Yentel was 1985, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yentel is about 39 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 Yentel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yentel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yentel 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.
Is Yentel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yentel 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 Yentel 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 Yentel as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Yentel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.