Yuyang
A Chinese gender-neutral given name meaning "the sun and the clouds".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Yuyang. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yuyang today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yuyang births was 2014 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yuyang. 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 Yuyang. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2014
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#14,012
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Yuyang: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yuyang 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 Yuyang during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yuyang
The name Yuyang has its origins in Chinese language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is a combination of two Chinese characters, "Yu" meaning "jade" and "Yang" meaning "nurturing" or "cultivating." The name was likely given to children with the hope that they would grow and thrive like a well-nurtured jade plant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yuyang can be found in the historical text "Zuo Zhuan," which chronicles the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history (771-476 BC). The text mentions a person named Yuyang, who was a minister in the state of Jin during the 6th century BC.
In Chinese literature, the name Yuyang appears in the classic novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" written in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. One of the main characters, a young woman, is named Yuyang and is known for her intelligence and virtue.
Throughout Chinese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yuyang. One such figure was Yuyang Xiu (594-668 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher during the Tang Dynasty. His works are celebrated for their elegant and refined style, and he is regarded as one of the greatest calligraphers of his time.
Another prominent figure with the name Yuyang was Yuyang Guang (1063-1135 AD), a military strategist and statesman during the Northern Song Dynasty. He is known for his military reforms and his efforts to strengthen the Song Empire against the growing threat of the Liao and Jin dynasties.
In more recent times, Yuyang Huang (1916-2005) was a prominent Chinese physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. He was one of the pioneers of China's nuclear program and played a crucial role in the development of the country's first atomic bomb.
While the name Yuyang has deep roots in Chinese history and culture, it has also been adopted in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Chinese communities. However, its historical and cultural significance remains closely tied to its Chinese origins and the rich tapestry of Chinese literature, art, and intellectual traditions.
People
Yuyang + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yuyang 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
Yuyang: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yuyang?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yuyang 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Yuyang a common name?
We classify Yuyang as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Yuyang most popular?
The single biggest year for Yuyang was 2014, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yuyang is about 12 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 Yuyang in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yuyang a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yuyang 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 Yuyang still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yuyang 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 Yuyang 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 share the name Yuyang?
Want to know how many people share the name Yuyang? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.