Young
Young is a name with a single cultural origin: Korean.
- Korean
Meaning & Origin of Young
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Young is a name with a single cultural origin: Korean.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Korean
The Story of Young
As a girl name
American parents first put Young on the record books as a girl name in 1920, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 19 Youngs were born — ranking #3,948 that year. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 24% of all recorded Youngs. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1998 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 530 Youngs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Young on the record books as a boy name in 1880, with 14 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 42 Youngs were born — ranking #1,867 that year. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2022 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 2K Youngs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Young
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Young. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Yeong
Names that sound like Young
Phonetically similar names — useful when Young 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 Young
What does the name Young mean?
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How popular is Young in 2026?
When was Young most popular?
In which U.S. states is Young most popular?
Is Young a unisex name?
What names go well with Young?
What are nicknames or variants of Young?
About the name Young
Young is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Young's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #1,867. Use the chart and map above to compare Young's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1991 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- 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.