200 baby names that start with ‘Y’

Elise Solé
Updated ·3 min read
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From Yves to Yulia and Yetta, baby names that start with "Y" are hidden treasures.

To give your child a distinctive edge in a sea of traditional monikers, why not look to the back of the alphabet?

"'Y' is rare as an initial, but extremely common in name endings, both in suffixes like -lyn and as a final letter," Laura Wattenberg, the creator of Namerology, tells TODAY.com. "That keeps it from having the exotic appeal of rare letters like X and Z, so parents haven’t really sought it out."

According to Wattenberg, the letter Y is largely responsible for the popularity of baby names that begin with "J."

"For a historical answer as to why English has so few names that start with 'Y,' consider why English has so many 'J' names," notes Wattenberg. "The Bible is full of J's like Joseph, Jacob and Jonathan — but those are adaptations of the Hebrew names Yosef, Ya’akov and Yonatan."

"The letter 'J' was a latecomer to the English alphabet," she adds. "Even as recently as the King James Bible, the names we now spell with a 'J' were written with an 'I' — you might call it the King Iames Bible!" she notes. "As the hard 'J' took hold, it edged out 'Y' sounds. The 'Y' names we do use today are almost all imports from other languages."

Want more evidence that "Y" is a cutting-edge choice? Kanye West changed his name to "Ye" and Elon Musk and Grimes nick-named their young daughter "Y" (short for Exa Dark Sideræl Musk).

And "Game of Thrones" fans already know Jon Snow's love interest Ygritte, played by his real-life wife, Rose Leslie.

Scroll through the diverse list of girl and boy baby names that start with "Y," like Yanni, Yulissa, York and many more. Then, have fun coming up with names for your little one!

200 Baby Names That Start With 'Y'

You'll have no shortage of baby names that start with "Y" to choose from in the list below!

  • Yvette

  • Younes

  • Yolanda

  • Yasmine

  • Yanni

  • Youssef

  • Yael

  • Yancy

  • Yves

  • Yale

  • Yuri

  • Ygritte

  • Yosef

  • Yulietta

  • Yesenia

  • Yasmen

  • Yoko

  • Yeats

  • Yoshi

  • Yule

  • Yelena

  • Yumi

  • York

  • Yulissa

  • Yanis

  • Yohan

  • Yarrow

  • Yardley

  • Yair

  • Yaya

  • Young

  • Yama

  • Yannis

  • Yashar

  • Yamila

  • Yogi

  • Yaffa

  • Yamika

  • Yeray

  • Yulia

  • Yasti

  • Yetta

  • Yonni

  • Yasim

  • Ye

  • Yi

  • Yvan

  • Yai

  • Youn

  • Yoanna

  • Yia

  • Ynes

  • Yordi

  • Yamir

  • Yana

  • Yachi

  • Yonny

  • Yadid

  • Ysabella

  • Yenta

  • Yannick

  • Yonatan

  • Yash

  • Yaser

  • Yasha

  • Yocelin

  • Yadelyn

  • Yon

  • Yaletha

  • Yvanna

  • Yati

  • Yoselyn

  • Yue

  • Yarael

  • Yousha

  • Yadana

  • Yorah

  • Yoel

  • Yaman

  • Yasmani

  • Yarah

  • Yalina

  • Yuliana

  • Yitta

  • Ying

  • Yoon

  • Yossi

  • Yunis

  • Yugene

  • Yovanni

  • Yianna

  • Yanita

  • Yohance

  • Yovel

  • Yarden

  • Yareli

  • Yao

  • Yarnell

  • Yamela

  • Yeary

  • Yorick

  • Yerby

  • Yoli

  • Yost

  • Yiannis

  • Yadaline

  • Yuen

  • Yamka

  • Yenny

  • Yolando

  • Yuet

  • Yona

  • Yogita

  • Yolanna

  • Yaro

  • Yashawn

  • Yacob

  • Yemane

  • Yuka

  • Yesfir

  • Yoan

  • Yume

  • Yari

  • Yunus

  • Yoni

  • Yafa

  • Yacinta

  • Yanna

  • Yaneli

  • Yamilet

  • Yacov

  • Yaelle

  • Yahir

  • Yahri

  • Yacoub

  • Ysrael

  • Yago

  • Yadin

  • Yalani

  • Yahia

  • Yassen

  • Ysella

  • Yates

  • Yuva

  • Yeva

  • Yamei

  • Yahia

  • Yusha

  • Yaretzi

  • Yassir

  • Yanet

  • Yaz

  • Yeo

  • Yasi

  • Yadora

  • Ymir

  • Yuvi

  • Yugo

  • Ynez

  • Yuvesh

  • Yunior

  • Yaron

  • Yadav

  • Yalid

  • Yatin

  • Yaj

  • Yatan

  • Yelda

  • Yaseem

  • Yanik

  • Yasar

  • Yasper

  • Yoseline

  • Yurt

  • Yonas

  • Yeager

  • Yasin

  • Yabel

  • Yadra

  • Yas

  • Yalene

  • Yedda

  • Yuta

  • Yamama

  • Yar

  • Yentil

  • Yazan

  • Yedidiah

  • Yamini

  • Yasna

  • Yonit

  • Yulanda

  • Yenesis

  • Yidel

  • Yadriel

  • Yee

  • Yestin

  • Yadira

  • Yosbel

  • Yoram

This article was originally published on TODAY.com