Yolander
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "a violet flower".
Name Census estimates that about 235 living Americans carry the first name Yolander. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yolander today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yolander births was 1969 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yolander. 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
235
~ 1 in 1,458,529 Americans
Peak year
1969
23 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1981 SSA rank
#7,405
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Yolander: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yolander from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 118 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yolander 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 Yolander during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yolanders live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yolander
The name Yolander has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically deriving from the Old German name Iolandes. This name is believed to have evolved from the combination of two elements: "iu," meaning yew tree, and "lant," meaning land or territory.
The earliest recorded use of the name Yolander can be traced back to the 9th century, when it appeared in various historical documents from the Frankish Empire. During this period, the name was primarily associated with nobility and was borne by several prominent figures.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Yolander was Yolande of Aragon (1384-1442), a French noblewoman who served as the Countess of Provence and the Duchess of Anjou. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time and was known for her influential role during the Hundred Years' War.
Another prominent Yolander from history was Yolande of Burgundy (1247-1298), who was the Countess of Nevers and Auxerre. She was a powerful figure in the medieval French court and was renowned for her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the realm of literature, the name Yolander appears in the works of the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. In his famous collection of stories, "The Canterbury Tales," one of the characters is named Yolande, a reference to the historical figure Yolande of Aragon.
Moving to the 16th century, there was Yolande Marguerite of Savoy (1572-1629), a member of the House of Savoy and the Duchess of Montferrat. She was known for her involvement in the political and religious conflicts of her time and played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War.
Another noteworthy figure with the name Yolander was Yolande de Polastron (1749-1793), a French noblewoman and the mistress of Count Charles Alexandre de Calonne, who was the Controller-General of Finances under King Louis XVI. She was a prominent figure in the court of Versailles during the French Revolution.
While the name Yolander has its roots in the Germanic languages, it has been adopted and used in various cultures throughout history, reflecting its enduring appeal and significance.
People
Yolander + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yolander 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
Yolander: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yolander?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 235 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yolander 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 1,458,529 US residents.
Is Yolander a common name?
We classify Yolander as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 274 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yolander most popular?
The single biggest year for Yolander was 1969, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yolander is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yolander a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yolander 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.