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Name Lineage

    The first name Young

    A unisex name.

    Pronounced /jʌŋ/ 1 syllable Unisex Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    * As an English, Scottish, and northern Irish surname, from the adjective young, used to distinguish a younger brother or son. This sense is comparable to the surnames le Yunge, German Jong and Junk, Dutch Jong and de Jongh, French Lejeune and LaJeunesse, assimilated from Dion and Guyon. * As a Chinese surname, from the following: ** Cantonese 楊 /杨 (joeng⁴). Doublet of Yeung. ** Hokkien 楊 /杨 (iông / iâng). Doublet of Yu, Yeo, Yeoh. ** Mandarin 楊 /杨 (yáng). Doublet of Yang.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Young last appeared in the official list in 2003, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 1997, with 5 births (#2,022).

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    15
    babies named Young, 1996–2025
    #3,467
    rank in 2003
    1997
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Young with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Young at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2022, 6 boys born in the United States were named Young, the 12,286th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1991, when 42 were.

    02550 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    2,764
    babies named Young since 1880
    #12,286
    rank in 2022
    1991
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Young

    10 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Young Kim
      American politician, born 1962
    • John Young Brown
      19th-century American politician in Kentucky (1835-1904)
    • Young John Allen
      American missionary in China (1836-1907)
    • George Newbern
      American actor, born 1964
    • A. Y. Jackson
      Canadian painter (1882-1974)
    • Tim Hutchinson
      American politician, born 1949
    • John Brown
      American basketball player (born 1951)
    • Corky Lee
      American photographer (1947–2021)
    • Hamilton Castner
      American chemist (1858–1899)
    • Myers Y. Cooper
      American politician (1873-1958)

    Questions

    What does the name Young mean?
    * As an English, Scottish, and northern Irish surname, from the adjective young, used to distinguish a younger brother or son. This sense is comparable to the surnames le Yunge, German Jong and Junk, Dutch Jong and de Jongh, French Lejeune and LaJeunesse, assimilated from Dion…
    How popular is the name Young?
    In 2003, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Young, ranking 3,467th. Its peak was 1997, with 5 births.
    Is Young a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 2,764 US babies named Young since 1880, 19% were girls and 81% boys.
    When was Young most popular?
    1991 in the United States, when 42 babies were named Young, its highest rank at 1,894th.
    How do you pronounce Young?
    Young is /jʌŋ/, one syllable.
    Is Young also a surname?
    Yes. Young is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.