Yanky
Boy name · #3740 in 2025 · Uniqueness 58/100
Yanky ranks #3740 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 30 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #9568, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 boys born in 2025 was named Yanky.
Babies named Yanky per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 20-year story
Yanky first appears in the Social Security records in 2005, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 32 babies and a rank of #3533. 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 Yanky against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yanky in class?
Yanky scores 58 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Yanky is most common
State-level data for Yanky is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Yanky
Statistically, parents drawn to Yanky tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Chesky, Leiby, Mercy, Motty, and Santy.
CheskyLeibyMercyMottySantyYeidenYahmirYian
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Yanky | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #3658 |
| 2024 | 30 | #3693 |
| 2023 | 30 | #3712 |
| 2022 | 32 | #3533 |
| 2021 | 18 | #5110 |
| 2020 | 18 | #5041 |
| 2019 | 9 | #8215 |
| 2018 | 12 | #6703 |
| 2017 | 10 | #7546 |
| 2016 | 8 | #8816 |
| 2015 | 7 | #9568 |
| 2014 | 6 | #10717 |
| 2013 | 14 | #5923 |
| 2012 | 8 | #8864 |
| 2010 | 10 | #7591 |
| 2008 | 5 | #12553 |
| 2006 | 6 | #10662 |
| 2005 | 5 | #11472 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Yanky a popular boy name?
Yanky ranked #3740 among boys in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #9568.
When was the name Yanky most popular?
Yanky peaked in 2022, when 32 American boys received the name (ranked #3533 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Yanky?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American boys was named Yanky. It scores 58/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.