York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, including the minster, castle and city walls, all of which are Grade I listed. It is the traditional county town of Yorkshire, and the administrative centre of the City of York district.
Meaning & Origin of York
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, including the minster, castle and city walls, all of which are Grade I listed. It is the traditional county town of Yorkshire, and the administrative centre of the City of York district.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of York
York first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1971, when 21 Yorks were born — ranking #1,987 that year. As of 2026, York ranks #8,947 for baby boys with 8 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 955 Yorks 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 York
Phonetically similar names — useful when York is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Yorke
- Yark
- Yarke
- Yarc
- Wark
- Warc
- Yarg
- Your
- Yore
- Yorker
- Yorkie
- Yorick
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about York
What does the name York mean?
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About the name York
York is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 955 births in the dataset. York's peak popularity came in 1971 when it ranked #1,987. Use the chart and map above to compare York's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1971 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- 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.