Yuuki
A Japanese name meaning "superior courage" or "brave spirit".
Name Census estimates that about 198 living Americans carry the first name Yuuki. It is a predominantly male name (92.1% of registrations). The average person named Yuuki today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yuuki births was 2001 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yuuki. 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
198
~ 1 in 1,731,083 Americans
Peak year
2001
14 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,284
Tracked since 1989
Gender
Gender distribution for Yuuki
Yuuki leans heavily male at 92.1% of total registrations, but 16 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Yuuki as a male name
- Ranked #12,284 in 2022
- 6 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2001 (14 births)
Yuuki as a female name
- Ranked #19,460 in 2012
- 5 female births in 2012
- Peak: 2011 (6 births)
Popularity
Yuuki: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yuuki from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 89 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yuuki 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 Yuuki during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yuukis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yuuki
The name Yuuki is a Japanese given name with origins dating back to ancient times. Its roots can be traced to the Japanese words "yu" meaning "superior" or "brave" and "ki" meaning "hope" or "radiance." Together, the name Yuuki conveys a sense of bravery, resilience, and brightness.
In Japanese culture, names often carry deep symbolic meanings and are carefully chosen to instill positive qualities in the child. The name Yuuki reflects the desire for the bearer to possess a courageous spirit and a hopeful outlook on life.
While the exact origins of the name are obscure, it is believed to have emerged during the Heian period (794-1185 CE) when Japanese names took on more complex meanings and symbolism. During this era, literature and poetry flourished, and names were influenced by the artistic and philosophical ideals of the time.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Yuuki can be found in the 12th-century literary work "The Tale of Genji," widely considered a masterpiece of Japanese literature. In this work, a minor character bears the name Yuuki, suggesting its use during the Heian period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Yuuki. One example is Yuuki Atsuko (1923-2017), a renowned Japanese author and translator known for her work in introducing Western literature to Japanese audiences. Her translations of works by authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Milan Kundera were instrumental in expanding cultural understanding between East and West.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Yuuki is Yuuki Takahiro (1952-), a Japanese businessman and former CEO of the electronics company Sharp Corporation. Under his leadership, Sharp became a global leader in liquid crystal display (LCD) technology and expanded its presence in international markets.
In the realm of sports, Yuuki Abe (1989-) is a notable name. A professional baseball player in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, Abe has played for the Yomiuri Giants and has been a part of several championship-winning teams.
Historically, the name Yuuki has also been associated with warriors and samurai. One example is Yuuki Masatsugu (1592-1615), a renowned samurai who served under the powerful Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. He was known for his bravery and loyalty, exemplifying the qualities embodied by the name Yuuki.
Lastly, in the realm of Japanese art, Yuuki Somei (1875-1941) was a renowned woodblock print artist and painter. His works, which often depicted traditional Japanese landscapes and scenes, were highly influential in the Shin-hanga ("new prints") movement of the early 20th century.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Yuuki throughout history, each contributing to their respective fields and embodying the qualities of bravery, hope, and radiance associated with this meaningful Japanese name.
People
Yuuki + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yuuki 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
Yuuki: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yuuki?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 198 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yuuki 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 1,731,083 US residents.
Is Yuuki a common name?
We classify Yuuki as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 202 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yuuki most popular?
The single biggest year for Yuuki was 2001, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yuuki is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yuuki a male name?
Yes, 92.1% of people registered as Yuuki 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.
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.