Girl · #17,501 in 2026

Yakima

Yakima is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.

Current Rank
#17,501
Peak Rank
#3,506 (1980)
Total Babies
261
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1971
First Year
2008
Last Year
1980
Peak Year
#3506
Peak Rank
261
Total Count
27
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Yakima

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

Yakima is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.

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

Origin & history
The Yakama people were the first known inhabitants of the Yakima Valley. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to the area and encountered abundant wildlife and rich soil, prompting the settlement of homesteaders. A Catholic Mission was established in Ahtanum , southwest of present-day Yakima, in 1847. The arrival of settlers and their conflicts with the natives resulted in the Yakima War . The U.S. Army established Fort Simcoe in 1856 near present-day White Swan as a response to the uprising. The Yakamas were defeated and forced to relocate to the Yakama Indian Reservation . Yakima Cou

The Story of Yakima

Yakima first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1971, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1980, when 23 Yakimas were born — ranking #3,506 that year. As of 2026, Yakima ranks #17,501 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 261 Yakimas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
MI
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VT
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MA
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ID
SD
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OH
PA
NJ
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RI
CA
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Top 10
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No data

Notable people named Yakima

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Oleta Adams , singer
  • Jamie Allen , Major League Baseball player
  • Colleen Atwood , Academy Award -winning costume designer
  • Mario Batali , celebrity chef
  • MarJon Beauchamp , professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers
  • Wanda E. Brunstetter , author
  • Bryan Caraway , mixed martial artist
  • Raymond Carver , author, poet and screenwriter

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

Names that sound like Yakima

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

  • Yakama
  • Yacking
  • Yakking
  • Jacana
  • Yakin
  • Makena
  • Yocum
  • Yoakum
  • Yocom
  • Yokum
  • Yoakam
  • Yochum

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Yakima

What does the name Yakima mean?
Yakima is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.
How popular is Yakima in 2026?
In 2026, Yakima ranks #17,501 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Yakima most popular?
Yakima reached its peak popularity in 1980, ranking #3,506 that year with 23 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Yakima most popular?
Yakima has historically been most popular in New Jersey. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Yakima.
Is Yakima a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Yakima is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Yakima?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Yakima include Sueellen, Shermaine, Nate. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Sueellen
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Shermaine
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Nate
Peak #3506
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Dawnielle
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Maleka
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Tylisha
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Kevina
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Shanina
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About the name Yakima

Yakima is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 261 births in the dataset. Yakima's peak popularity came in 1980 when it ranked #3,506. Use the chart and map above to compare Yakima'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.