Unisex · #16,098 in 2026

Ya

Ya is a name with a single cultural origin: Chinese.

  • Chinese
Current Rank
#16,098
Peak Rank
#10,102 (2001)
Total Babies
34
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #10,102 (34 total)
👦 Boy peak #6,313 (5 total)
👧As Girl Name
1999
First Year
2004
Last Year
2001
Peak Year
#10102
Peak Rank
34
Total Count
5
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1984
First Year
1984
Last Year
1984
Peak Year
#6313
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ya

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Ya is a name with a single cultural origin: Chinese.

Origin data from Behind the Name .

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Chinese

The Story of Ya

As a girl name

The earliest SSA record of Ya as a girl name dates back to 1999, when 6 babies received it. 2001 was its biggest year on record, with 9 newborns named Ya — #10,102 in the national rankings. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 82% of all recorded Yas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2004 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 34 Yas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

The earliest SSA record of Ya as a boy name dates back to 1984, when 5 babies received it. 1984 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Ya — #6,313 in the national rankings. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1984 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 5 Yas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Ya

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ya is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ya

What does the name Ya mean?
Ya is a name with a single cultural origin: Chinese.
What is the origin of the name Ya?
Ya has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Chinese.
How popular is Ya in 2026?
In 2026, Ya ranks #16,098 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Ya most popular?
Ya reached its peak popularity in 2001, ranking #10,102 that year with 9 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Ya most popular?
Ya has historically been most popular in New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ya.
Is Ya a unisex name?
Yes — Ya is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 87% of Yas assigned female and 13% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Ya?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ya include Clairice, Anida, Kamy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ya

Ya is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1999 and has accumulated 34 births in the dataset. Ya's peak popularity came in 2001 when it ranked #10,102. Use the chart and map above to compare Ya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.