Yancy
Yancy is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Yancy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Yancy is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Yancy
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Yancy as a girl name dates back to 1968, when 7 babies received it. 2001 was its biggest year on record, with 21 newborns named Yancy — #5,364 in the national rankings. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 30% of all recorded Yancys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (12 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 518 Yancys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Yancy as a boy name dates back to 1886, when 5 babies received it. 1959 was its biggest year on record, with 123 newborns named Yancy — #686 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 23% of all recorded Yancys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2021 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 2K Yancys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Yancy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yancy 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 Yancy
What does the name Yancy mean?
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How popular is Yancy in 2026?
When was Yancy most popular?
In which U.S. states is Yancy most popular?
Is Yancy a unisex name?
What names go well with Yancy?
About the name Yancy
Yancy is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1886 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Yancy's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #686. Use the chart and map above to compare Yancy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "Y" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.