Yorick
Yorick is an unseen character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. He is the court jester whose skull is exhumed by the First Gravedigger in Act 5, Scene 1, of the play. The sight of Yorick's skull evokes a reminiscence by Prince Hamlet of the man, who apparently played a role during Hamlet's upbringing: Alas, poor Yorick!
Meaning & Origin of Yorick
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Yorick is an unseen character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. He is the court jester whose skull is exhumed by the First Gravedigger in Act 5, Scene 1, of the play. The sight of Yorick's skull evokes a reminiscence by Prince Hamlet of the man, who apparently played a role during Hamlet's upbringing: Alas, poor Yorick!
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Yorick
Yorick first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1992, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 9 Yoricks were born — ranking #6,839 that year. As of 2026, Yorick ranks #12,230 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 49 Yoricks have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Yorick
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yorick 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 Yorick
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About the name Yorick
Yorick is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1992 and has accumulated 49 births in the dataset. Yorick's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #6,839. Use the chart and map above to compare Yorick's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
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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.