Yu
Yū or Yu or Yuu is a very common Japanese given name used by either sex.
Meaning & Origin of Yu
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Yū or Yu or Yuu is a very common Japanese given name used by either sex.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Yu
As a girl name
Yu first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1972, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 23 Yus were born — ranking #5,895 that year. As of 2026, Yu ranks #13,427 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 381 Yus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Yu first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1969, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 17 Yus were born — ranking #4,502 that year. As of 2026, Yu ranks #12,301 for boys with 5 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 440 Yus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Yu
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Yu Aida (裕), a Japanese manga artist and illustrator
- Yū Aoi (優), a Japanese actress
- Yū Asagiri (夕), a Japanese manga artist
- Yū Asakawa (悠, born 1975), a Japanese voice actress
- Yu Darvish (有), an Iranian-Japanese starting pitcher
- Yu Fukumoto ( 福本 悠 ; born 2002) , Japanese footballer
- Yū Hayami (優), a Japanese pop singer and actress
- Yū Hasebe (優), a Japanese actress, singer and model
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Yu
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yu 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 Yu
What does the name Yu mean?
How popular is Yu in 2026?
When was Yu most popular?
In which U.S. states is Yu most popular?
Is Yu a unisex name?
What names go well with Yu?
About the name Yu
Yu is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 440 births in the dataset. Yu's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #4,502. Use the chart and map above to compare Yu's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.