Yahya
Boy name · #616 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Yahya? In official American birth records, Yahya has been tracked continuously since 1972, giving it 53 years of documented American history.
Yahya ranks #616 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 455 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #977, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,956 boys born in 2025 was named Yahya.
Babies named Yahya per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 53-year story
Yahya first appears in the Social Security records in 1972, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 455 babies and a rank of #615. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Yahya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yahya in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Yahya is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Yahya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Yahya is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Yahya is most common in MN (1.2 per 1,000), IL (0.8 per 1,000), MI (0.7 per 1,000), LA (0.6 per 1,000), NY (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Yahya is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Yahya
Statistically, parents drawn to Yahya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Yehuda, Yeshua, Shaya, Yusuf, and Hamza.
YehudaYeshuaShayaYusufHamzaYosefMusaAgastya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Yahya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 455 | #615 |
| 2024 | 379 | #707 |
| 2023 | 265 | #881 |
| 2022 | 243 | #940 |
| 2021 | 195 | #1085 |
| 2020 | 210 | #1005 |
| 2019 | 226 | #949 |
| 2018 | 202 | #1018 |
| 2017 | 230 | #920 |
| 2016 | 224 | #935 |
| 2015 | 211 | #977 |
| 2014 | 167 | #1137 |
| 2013 | 173 | #1080 |
| 2012 | 158 | #1155 |
| 2011 | 130 | #1309 |
| 2010 | 113 | #1456 |
| 2009 | 133 | #1309 |
| 2008 | 94 | #1639 |
| 2007 | 90 | #1681 |
| 2006 | 80 | #1738 |
| 2005 | 67 | #1889 |
| 2004 | 55 | #2131 |
| 2003 | 47 | #2269 |
| 2002 | 35 | #2685 |
| 2001 | 56 | #1935 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Yahya?
In official American birth records, the name Yahya first appeared in 1972 (over 53 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 53 years.
Is Yahya a popular boy name?
Yahya ranked #616 among boys in 2025 with 455 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #977.
When was the name Yahya most popular?
Yahya peaked in 2025, when 455 American boys received the name (ranked #615 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Yahya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,956 newborn American boys was named Yahya. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.