Yi
A masculine Chinese name meaning upright and righteousness.
Name Census estimates that about 454 living Americans carry the first name Yi. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 62.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Yi today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yi births was 2018 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yi. 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
454
~ 1 in 754,966 Americans
Peak year
2018
25 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,207
Tracked since 1980
Gender
Gender distribution for Yi
Yi is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 461 total registrations, 289 (62.7%) were male and 172 (37.3%) were female.
Yi as a male name
- Ranked #7,207 in 2024
- 12 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (25 births)
Yi as a female name
- Ranked #12,078 in 2024
- 8 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2004 (11 births)
Popularity
Yi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yi from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 165 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Yi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yi 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 Yi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yi
Yi is a given name of Chinese origin that dates back to ancient times. It is a monosyllabic name that has been used in various forms and spellings throughout Chinese history.
The name Yi is derived from the Chinese character "义" (yì), which means "justice," "righteousness," or "moral integrity." This character has a long and rich history in Chinese culture, appearing in numerous philosophical and religious texts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yi can be found in the Classic of Poetry (Shijing), one of the oldest existing collections of Chinese poetry dating back to the 11th century BCE. In this ancient text, Yi is mentioned as the name of a virtuous and upright individual.
Throughout Chinese history, the name Yi has been associated with various prominent figures. One notable example is Yi Yin (circa 1600 BCE), a renowned minister and counselor during the Shang Dynasty. He is revered for his wisdom, integrity, and contributions to the development of Chinese statecraft.
Another famous bearer of the name Yi is Yi Zhuang (circa 659-619 BCE), a philosopher and political thinker during the Spring and Autumn period. He is known for his influential teachings on moral cultivation and governance.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), Yi Xing (683-727 CE) was a renowned Buddhist monk, mathematician, and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy, mathematics, and calendar reform.
In the realm of literature, Yi Baek (1366-1398) was a prominent Korean scholar and writer during the Goryeo Dynasty. He is best known for his collection of essays and poems, which reflect on the human condition and the pursuit of virtue.
Lastly, Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598) was a renowned Korean naval commander and military strategist during the Joseon Dynasty. He is celebrated for his innovative military tactics and his decisive victories against Japanese invaders during the Imjin War.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Yi, highlighting its cultural significance and association with virtues such as righteousness, wisdom, and moral integrity.
People
Yi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yi 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
Yi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 454 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yi 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 754,966 US residents.
Is Yi a common name?
We classify Yi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 461 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yi most popular?
The single biggest year for Yi was 2018, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yi is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yi a male name?
Yes, 62.7% of people registered as Yi 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.