Yankel
Yankel, Yankele, Yankl, Jankiel, Jankel is a Jewish given name. It is a Yiddish diminutive of Jacob. It is also used as a surname.
Meaning & Origin of Yankel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Yankel, Yankele, Yankl, Jankiel, Jankel is a Jewish given name. It is a Yiddish diminutive of Jacob. It is also used as a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Yankel
Yankel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2016, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 6 Yankels were born — ranking #10,860 that year. As of 2026, Yankel ranks #10,860 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 11 Yankels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Yankel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yankel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Yackel
- Yongle
- Hankel
- Winkle
- Rankle
- Yanking
- Wangle
- Cankle
- Winkel
- Shankle
- Wankel
- Wankle
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Yankel
What does the name Yankel mean?
How popular is Yankel in 2026?
When was Yankel most popular?
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About the name Yankel
Yankel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2016 and has accumulated 11 births in the dataset. Yankel's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #10,860. Use the chart and map above to compare Yankel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "Y" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.