Girl · #13,427 in 2026

Yoyo

Name: Popularity of the name Yoyo in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Yoyo, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

A yo-yo is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy documented since 440 BC. It was also called a bandalore in the 18th century.

Current Rank

#13,427

Peak Rank

#8,963 (2014)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

2007

First Year

2024

Last Year

2014

Peak Year

#8963

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Yoyo

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

Yo-yos were known to the Ancient Greeks , and they appear in several Ancient Greek vase paintings , though the Ancient Greek word for them is unknown. Surviving examples from the period exist made of bronze and terracotta (fired clay), though the most common material was likely wood. A Mughal painting from around 1770 shows the use of a string toy that is similar, but not identical, to the modern yo-yo. Yo-yos were popular in England around the end of the eighteenth century, where they were commonly called bandalores or bandylores . The word yo-yo probably comes from the Ilocano term yóyo, or

The Story of Yoyo

Yoyo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2007, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 12 Yoyos were born — ranking #8,963 that year. As of 2026, Yoyo ranks #13,427 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 73 Yoyos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Yoyo

Phonetically similar names — useful when Yoyo is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Jojo
Yoho
Joho
Yolo
Yoko
Yaya
Yahya
Yono
Toyo
Yoj
Yaho
Joha

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Yoyo

What does the name Yoyo mean?

How popular is Yoyo in 2026?

In 2026, Yoyo ranks #13,427 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Yoyo most popular?

Yoyo reached its peak popularity in 2014, ranking #8,963 that year with 12 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Yoyo most popular?

Yoyo has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Yoyo.

Is Yoyo a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Yoyo is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Yoyo?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Yoyo include Sema, Noralyn, Tavi. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Yoyo

Yoyo is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2007 and has accumulated 73 births in the dataset. Yoyo's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #8,963. Use the chart and map above to compare Yoyo's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.