Younes
A masculine Arabic name meaning "he who constantly remembers God".
Name Census estimates that about 572 living Americans carry the first name Younes. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Younes today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Younes births was 2024 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Younes. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Younes with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
572
~ 1 in 599,221 Americans
Peak year
2024
67 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,183
Tracked since 1999
Census
Younes in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 970 people with the first name Younes, which placed it at #12,724 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#12,724
National first-name rank
People counted
970
970 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
86.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Younes
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Younes is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (3.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Younes described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Younes at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 834
- Two or more races6.9% · 67
- Black or African American3.1% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 16
Popularity
Younes: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Younes from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 242 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Younes 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 Younes during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Younes' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. New York, California, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Younes, while Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 18 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Younes
The name Younes has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, originating in the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "Yunus," which translates to "dove" or "pigeon." This name has a deep connection with the Islamic faith and its religious texts.
In the Quran, the holy book of Islam, Younes is the Arabic name given to the prophet Jonah, who is mentioned in several chapters. The story of Prophet Jonah and his experience with the whale is a significant narrative in Islamic teachings, highlighting the themes of faith, repentance, and divine mercy.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Younes can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early days of the Islamic era. It was a popular name among Arab communities and gradually spread to other regions with the expansion of Islamic civilization.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Younes. One of the most famous is Younes Khayati (1240-1345), a renowned Sufi poet and mystic from Morocco. His works, including "The Book of Illumination," have had a lasting impact on Islamic spirituality and literature.
Another influential figure is Younes Mahmoud (1875-1947), an Egyptian writer, politician, and activist who played a significant role in the Egyptian nationalist movement against British occupation. His writings and speeches inspired generations of Egyptians to fight for their independence.
In the realm of sports, Younes El-Aynaoui (born 1972) is a former professional tennis player from Morocco. He achieved a career-high ranking of 14th in the world and won several ATP titles, becoming a renowned figure in North African and Arab tennis.
Younes Belhanda (born 1990) is a contemporary professional footballer from Morocco who has represented his country at the international level. He has played for several top European clubs, including Dynamo Kyiv and Galatasaray, and is known for his skilled midfield play.
Younes Tawfik (1935-2022) was an acclaimed Egyptian actor and comedian, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Egyptian cinema. His comedic performances and roles in numerous films and television series have left an indelible mark on Arab popular culture.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Younes throughout history, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and significance in various fields.
People
Younes + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Younes 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
Younes: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Younes?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 572 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Younes 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 599,221 US residents.
Is Younes a common name?
We classify Younes as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 577 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Younes most popular?
The single biggest year for Younes was 2024, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Younes is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Younes in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 970 people with the name Younes, or 0.32 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #12,724 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Younes in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Younes?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Younes appears almost entirely male. Of the 977 people counted with this name, 99.2% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Younes?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Younes is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (3.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Younes most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Younes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (834 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Younes in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Younes a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Younes 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 Younes still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Younes 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 Younes 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.
How many people are named Younes?
Find out how many people share the name Younes on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.