by baby&family3 letters · From the blog
Yaa
This is the documented feminine form for Thursday. The double A indicates a slight elongation of the vowel.
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Names starting with Y
Explore 55 first names starting with Y, with short explanations and links to their stories on our blog.
Names: 55 · Page 1 of 2
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Yade
A name from the Turkish-speaking world. It is widely translated as "memory" or "remembrance."
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Yael
This Hebrew first name traces back to the word for the Nubian ibex or mountain goat.
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Yakup
The Turkish form of Jacob. The name traces back to Hebrew; documented meanings of the root word are "heel-catcher" or "may God protect."
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Yan
Depending on the character, this name can mean "swallow" (燕) or "colorful/gorgeous" (艳). A generalized meaning would be inaccurate here, as both variants have independent name histories.
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Yana
This is a Slavic spelling of Jana, which is documented as a short form of Johanna. The underlying Hebrew word means "God is gracious."
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Yanis
This masculine name is very popular in Algeria and Morocco. It is often interpreted as Amazigh, though the exact derivation in this context is unclear. In addition, it strongly overlaps with the Greek form of Johannes. Providing a single blanket meaning would be too imprecise here.
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Yann
A Breton and French short form of John. The Hebrew root means "Yahweh is gracious."
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Yannick
A Breton diminutive of Yann and therefore also a variant of John. Well-known spellings also include Yannic or Jannik.
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Yannis
The Modern Greek form of John. The name is very common in Greek-speaking areas and is often spelled Jannis in German.
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Yara
The Brazilian Yara is a variant of Iara and is connected with the water figure of Brazilian folklore; the Tupi components are explained as "lady of the water". Independently of this, the Yara used in the Arabic-speaking world is connected with Persian yār, "friend" or "helper".
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Yarden
A Hebrew first name corresponding to the name Jordan. The documented meaning of the underlying verb is "to descend" or "to flow."
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Yaren
Yaren has Persian roots. The documented meaning of the name is "close friend" or "trusted companion".
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Yaro
The name is widely interpreted as a short form of Slavic names like Jaroslav; the element "jaro" stands for "fierce" or "spring". The spelling with a Y gives the name a modern visual feel and sets it apart from the variant Jaro.
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Yaron
A Hebrew first name. The documented translation is "he will rejoice" or "he will sing."
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Yarran
Yarran is documented in the Wiradjuri language and denotes a species of acacia native to Australia. The name is traditionally given to boys and features a clear, distinctive written form.
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Yash
A short boy's name from Sanskrit. The documented meaning is "fame" or "success." The "Y" is pronounced like a German "J," and the "sh" like "sch." The pronunciation is thus "Jasch."
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Yasha
A Russian pet form of Jakov (Jacob). It is often given as an independent given name in Slavic-speaking areas.
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Yasin
An Arabic first name. It derives from the letters Ya and Sin, with which the 36th Surah of the Quran begins.
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Yasmin
The name originates from Persian and denotes the jasmine plant. A common spelling variant is Yasmine.
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Yaw
This name is documented in Akan culture as a first name for a boy born on Thursday. It is very short and pronounced as a single syllable, similar to the English word "yawn" (without the n).
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Yella
This name is widely interpreted as a North German or Frisian short form of Gabriela. The Hebrew base of the original name means "God is my strength."
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Yesenia
A first name from the Spanish-speaking world that is often traced back to a South American species of palm tree. The older word meaning of this name family is not definitively clear.
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Yigit
A Turkish first name. The established translation from Turkish is "brave," "valiant," or "young hero."
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Yindi
This name is documented in the Yolngu language of Arnhem Land in northern Australia; the base word means "mother." The word is also known through the Australian musical band Yothu Yindi, which translates to "child and mother."
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Yitzhak
The name of the second biblical patriarch. The underlying Hebrew root means "he will laugh." If you are looking for a traditional German form, Isaak is a natural choice. In the German-speaking area, the Hebrew form Yitzhak often requires explanations regarding its spelling.
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Ylenia
Ylenia is a spelling variant of Ilenia. It is presumed to be a derivation of Elena. The exact origin is unexplained; a fixed translation such as “sunbeam” cannot be reliably verified.
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Ylva
Ylva originates from the Old Norse linguistic area. The documented meaning of the name is "the she-wolf."
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Ylvi
Ylvi traces back to the Old Norse word "ulfr," which means "wolf." Ylvi is a diminutive form and is documented to mean "little she-wolf." The name ends in -i and has two syllables.
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Ylvie
A Scandinavian name tracing back to the Old Norse word "ulfr", which means "wolf". The feminine form accordingly stands for "the she-wolf".
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Ynes
The Spanish spelling of Ines. This is the Spanish form of Agnes, which traces back to the Greek word for "pure" or "holy."
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Yngve
A Scandinavian first name. It refers to the Germanic god Yngvi. The older word meaning of this divine name is not linguistically certain, but it is widely interpreted as "lord" or "ancestor."
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Yoko
A Japanese name. Because the meaning in Japanese depends on the characters (kanji) used, there are various translations; documented meanings include "sun child" or "child of the ocean."
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Yola
A brief variant documented as a short form of Yolanda.
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Yolanda
The name has Greek roots and goes back to the word "iolanthe," which means "violet."
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Yorick
A Scandinavian form of Georg; the Greek word base means “farmer” or “peasant”.
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Yoshi
A Japanese first name or short form. Because Japanese names carry different meanings depending on the characters (kanji) used, there is no single general translation. Frequently chosen characters mean "good," "respectful," or "happy."
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Younes
The Arabic form of Jonah. The name traces back to the Hebrew word for "dove." Another common spelling is Yunes.
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Yousef
An alternative transliteration of the Arabic name Yusuf (Joseph), frequently used in English-speaking areas.
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Yrsa
This girl's name comes from Old Norse, but its exact historical derivation is unclear. A frequently mentioned connection to a word for she-bear is not documented beyond doubt. It is certain that it is a traditional Nordic name that appears in old sagas.
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Yu-jin
This name exists independently in various cultures (such as Eugene in the English-speaking world). The Korean name's history is based on Hanja, with a common interpretation being "abundant" and "precious".
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Yui
A very short girl's name. It is frequently formed from the kanji for "bind" or "connect" (yu) and "garment" (i). The pronunciation (Yu-i) often requires a brief explanation in German.
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Yuki
Another Japanese name whose meaning depends on the spelling. Documented meanings of the corresponding characters are "snow" or "happiness."
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Yul
A Russian form of Julius; the Latin origin refers to the Roman gens Julia.
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Yulia
An alternative, often English or Slavic transcription of Julia. The name belongs to the Roman family of the Julii.
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Yuma
A name found in North America. It is widely translated in baby name books as "son of the chief," though the exact linguistic derivation from a specific indigenous language remains unclear.
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Yumi
A Japanese first name. One documented meaning of the corresponding kanji characters is "beauty."
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Yuna
This name has distinct naming histories. In Celtic, it is interpreted as a feminine form of Ivo (yew). In Japanese, the meaning depends on the chosen characters.
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