Yen
The yen is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (USD) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the USD and the euro.
- Vietnamese
Meaning & Origin of Yen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The yen is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (USD) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the USD and the euro.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Vietnamese
Origin & history
The Story of Yen
As a girl name
Yen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1975, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 33 Yens were born — ranking #2,770 that year. As of 2026, Yen ranks #15,292 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 564 Yens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Yen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1984, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1988, when 7 Yens were born — ranking #5,751 that year. As of 2026, Yen ranks #12,142 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 47 Yens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Yen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yen 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 Yen
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About the name Yen
Yen is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1975 and has accumulated 564 births in the dataset. Yen's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #2,770. Use the chart and map above to compare Yen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1982 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "Y" →
- Browse all girl 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.