Girl · #12,120 in 2026

Yaa

Name: Popularity of the name Yaa in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Yaa, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Yaa or Aba is a feminine given name originating from the Akan day naming system, meaning born on a Thursday. Day names are a cultural practice of the Akan people of Ghana. It is actually practised by all Akan people who follow traditional customs. People born on particular days are supposed to exhibit the characteristics or attributes and philosophy, associated with the days.

Current Rank

#12,120

Peak Rank

#8,330 (2005)

Total Babies

269

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1978

First Year

2024

Last Year

2005

Peak Year

#8330

Peak Rank

269

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Yaa

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

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Yaa

Yaa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1978, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2005, when 13 Yaas were born — ranking #8,330 that year. As of 2026, Yaa ranks #12,120 for baby girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 269 Yaas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Yaa

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

Ya
Yah
Ja
Jaa
Yaw
Yao
Yow
Jau
Yowe
Yeah
Yea
Yay

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Yaa

What does the name Yaa mean?

How popular is Yaa in 2026?

In 2026, Yaa ranks #12,120 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.

When was Yaa most popular?

Yaa reached its peak popularity in 2005, ranking #8,330 that year with 13 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Yaa most popular?

Yaa has historically been most popular in New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Yaa.

Is Yaa a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Yaa is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Yaa?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Yaa include Malyn, Paraskevi, Dianara. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Yaa

Yaa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1978 and has accumulated 269 births in the dataset. Yaa's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #8,330. Use the chart and map above to compare Yaa'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.