Find out how popular the first name Yuan has been for the last 40 years (from 1984 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Yuan by gender

Based on the last 40 years of data, Yuan is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 82% of people named Yuan being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 6 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Yuan.

The history of the first name Yuan

The name Yuan has its origins in Chinese culture, deriving from the Mandarin Chinese word 'yuan' which means 'origin' or 'primary'. It traces back to ancient China, where it was often used as a surname or family name. The earliest recorded examples of Yuan as a given name date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), when it became more common as a personal name.

In Chinese philosophy and literature, the name Yuan is associated with concepts of primordial unity, the source of all things, and the origins of the universe. It appears in several classical texts, including the I Ching (Book of Changes) and the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, where it is used to represent the ineffable, eternal, and unconditioned aspects of the Tao.

One of the earliest and most famous historical figures with the name Yuan was Yuan Xingchu (584-644 AD), a renowned Tang Dynasty calligrapher and scholar. Yuan Mei (1716-1797), a poet and scholar from the Qing Dynasty, was another notable figure who contributed significantly to Chinese literature and philosophy.

In the realm of Chinese Buddhism, Yuan Hongdao (1568-1610) was a prominent monk and poet who played a crucial role in reviving the Chan (Zen) tradition during the Ming Dynasty. Yuan Zhen (779-831 AD), a renowned poet and essayist of the Tang Dynasty, is also remembered for his influential works.

Another historical figure with the name Yuan was Yuan Shikai (1859-1916), a prominent military leader and politician who briefly served as the first President of the Republic of China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

While the name Yuan has ancient roots in Chinese culture, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world due to the global influence of Chinese language and traditions.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Yuan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yuan, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!