Yolenda
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Violetta or Violanda.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Yolenda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yolenda today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yolenda births was 1965 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yolenda. 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 Yolenda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1965
5 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1965 SSA rank
#7,520
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Yolenda: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yolenda 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 Yolenda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yolenda
The name Yolenda is believed to have originated from the Old German language, where it was derived from the words "gelo" meaning yellow and "linde" meaning soft or tender. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a gentle or delicate complexion resembling a pale yellow hue.
In its earliest recorded use, the name appeared as "Gelinda" in ancient Germanic texts dating back to the 5th century AD. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Iolende, Yolande, and eventually Yolenda, as the name spread across different regions and cultures.
One of the earliest notable figures with this name was Yolande of Aragon (1384-1442), a French princess and the Duchess of Anjou. She played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and her political influence extended across parts of modern-day France and Italy.
Another prominent historical figure was Yolande of Dreux (1212-1248), a Countess of Burgundy and regent of the county during the minority of her son. She was known for her strong leadership and successful defense of Burgundy against the King of France during the Burgundian Succession Crisis.
In the 16th century, Yolande Gabrielle de Savoie (1572-1631) was a French noblewoman and the Duchess of Nemours. She was a prominent figure at the court of King Henry IV and played a role in the political intrigues of the time.
During the 17th century, Yolande de Polastron (1615-1677) was a French aristocrat and the Duchess of La Vallière. She was a mistress of King Louis XIV and had a significant influence on the French court during her time.
Yolande of Jerusalem (1212-1228) was a Queen of Jerusalem and the last monarch of the Ayyubid dynasty. Although her reign was brief, she played a crucial role in the ongoing conflict between the Crusaders and the Muslim forces in the Holy Land during the 13th century.
These examples demonstrate the historical significance and widespread use of the name Yolenda across various regions, cultures, and time periods, often associated with nobility, political influence, and figures of prominence.
People
Yolenda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yolenda 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
Yolenda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yolenda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yolenda 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Yolenda a common name?
We classify Yolenda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% 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 Yolenda most popular?
The single biggest year for Yolenda was 1965, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yolenda is about 64 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 Yolenda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yolenda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yolenda 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 Yolenda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yolenda 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 Yolenda 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 named Yolenda?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.