Yngwie
A masculine Scandinavian name of uncertain meaning, possibly related to "young".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Yngwie. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yngwie today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yngwie births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yngwie. 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 Yngwie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#10,213
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Yngwie: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yngwie 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 Yngwie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yngwie
The given name Yngwie finds its origins in Scandinavia, specifically in the Old Norse language. It is derived from the Old Norse words "Yngvi" and "ari," which together roughly translate to "warrior descendant." This suggests the name likely held significance for Viking or Norse cultures, potentially denoting a warrior lineage.
One of the earliest known uses of the name Yngwie can be found in the Old Norse text, the Poetic Edda, which dates back to the 13th century. In this collection of ancient Norse poems, the name appears in reference to the god Yngvi-Freyr, a deity associated with fertility, prosperity, and virility.
Throughout history, the name Yngwie has been relatively uncommon, with only a handful of notable individuals bearing it. One of the earliest recorded figures was Yngwie Frey (c. 1100-1170), a Swedish chieftain and landowner from the region of Uppland. His name directly references the Norse god Yngvi-Freyr, suggesting a connection to the ancient mythology.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Yngwie Malmsteen (born 1963), a Swedish guitarist and composer widely regarded as one of the most influential and technical guitarists in the neoclassical metal genre. His virtuosic playing and innovative style have earned him a dedicated following and numerous accolades throughout his career.
In the realm of literature, Yngwie Soderholm (1877-1958) was a Swedish author and poet known for his works exploring themes of nature, love, and the human condition. His poetic style was heavily influenced by the natural landscapes of his homeland.
Moving into the field of politics, Yngwie Bratt (1884-1954) was a Swedish politician and member of the Social Democratic Party. He served as the Minister of Finance from 1936 to 1939 and played a significant role in shaping economic policies during his tenure.
Lastly, Yngwie Stiernstedt (1881-1960) was a Swedish athlete and Olympic medalist. He competed in the tug of war event at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, where he and the Swedish team won the bronze medal, marking a notable achievement in his sporting career.
People
Yngwie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yngwie 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
Yngwie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yngwie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yngwie 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Yngwie a common name?
We classify Yngwie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yngwie most popular?
The single biggest year for Yngwie was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yngwie is about 31 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 Yngwie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yngwie a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yngwie 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.
Is Yngwie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yngwie 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 Yngwie 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 are called Yngwie?
You can see how many Americans are named Yngwie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.