Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1988

Yang

Gender Unisex · 14% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

Yang is a given name, and may refer to:An Yang, Chinese pair skater Bai Yang (actress) (1920–1996), Chinese actress Bai Yang, Chinese table tennis player Bai Yang…

Rank 2025
–
among boys
Babies in 2025
<5
named Yang
How common
–
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1988
21 babies
All-time total
338
#10,630 all-time among boys
First recorded
1981
in Social Security records

Yang popularity over time

338 babies have been named Yang since 1981, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
00.010.010.0218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s 28 87 115 12 – #3,067
1990s 14 94 108 11 -6% #3,056
2000s – 42 42 4 -61% #7,228
2010s 5 62 67 7 +60% #7,047
2020s (to 2025) – 6 6 1 -85% #12,292

The story of Yang

Yang is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1981, 338 American babies have been named Yang, about 86% boys and 14% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1988, when 21 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Yang stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Yang?

The median living Yang is about 32 years old; half are between 21 and 37. An estimated 300 people named Yang are alive in the United States today.

median 32 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Yang year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – – –
2024 – – 6 #12,292
2023 – – – –
2022 – – – –
2021 – – – –
2020 – – – –
2019 – – 7 #10,765
2018 – – 10 #8,131
2017 – – – –
2016 – – – –
2015 – – 12 #7,047
2014 – – 11 #7,535
2013 – – 5 #13,989
2012 5 #19,424 8 #9,679
2011 – – – –
2010 – – 9 #8,764
2009 – – – –
2008 – – – –
2007 – – 6 #12,308
2006 – – – –
2005 – – – –
2004 – – 5 #13,160
2003 – – 10 #7,228
2002 – – 7 #9,367
2001 – – 9 #7,513
2000 – – 5 #12,077
1995 – – 10 #5,915
1990 – – 21 #3,056
1985 6 #10,660 5 #7,560
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Yang

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Yang Chen-Ning Yang Chen-Ning Chinese-American physicist (1922–2025) Contemporary
  2. 2 Yang Mi Yang Mi Chinese actress and singer (born 1986) Contemporary
  3. 3 Yang Hyun-suk Yang Hyun-suk South Korean rapper and record executive (born 1970) Contemporary
  4. 4 Yang Xinhai Yang Xinhai Chinese serial killer (1968–2004) Contemporary
  5. 5 Yang Guifei Yang Guifei Tang dynasty imperial consort (719–756) Medieval
  6. 6 Yang Kaihui Yang Kaihui Second wife of Mao Zedong (1901–1930) Contemporary
  7. 7 Yang Shangkun Yang Shangkun President of China from 1988 to 1993 1907–1998 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Yang Kyoungjong Yang Kyoungjong Purported Korean soldier (fl. 20th century) 1920–1992 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Yang Liwei Yang Liwei Chinese military officer and taikonaut (born 1965) Contemporary
  10. 10 Yang Yong-eun Yang Yong-eun South Korean professional golfer (born 1972) Contemporary
  11. 11 Yang Jiechi Yang Jiechi Chinese senior diplomat and politician b. 1950 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Yang You Emperor of the Sui dynasty from 617 to 618 b. 605 · Medieval
  13. 13 Yang Huiyan Chinese-born billionaire businesswoman (born 1981) Contemporary
  14. 14 Yang Zhu Chinese founder of Yangist philosophy (440–c.360 BC) -369–-318 · Antiquity
  15. 15 Yang Hui Yang Hui Chinese mathematician and writer (c. 1238–1298) Medieval
  16. 16 Yang Chen Chinese footballer and coach b. 1974 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Yang Jiang Yang Jiang Chinese writer (1911–2016) Contemporary
  18. 18 Yang Chuan-kwang Yang Chuan-kwang Taiwanese decathlete (1933–2007) Contemporary
  19. 19 Yang Yang Yang Yang Chinese sports administrator and retired short track speed skater (born 1976) Contemporary
  20. 20 Yang Wei Yang Wei Chinese artistic gymnast b. 1980 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Yang, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Yang?

The median living Yang is about 32 years old. Half of all living Yangs are between 21 and 37 years old.

How many people named Yang are alive today?

An estimated 300 people named Yang are alive in the United States, based on 338 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Yang mean?

Yang is a given name, and may refer to:An Yang, Chinese pair skater Bai Yang (actress) (1920–1996), Chinese actress Bai Yang, Chinese table tennis player Bai Yang (footballer), Chinese footballer Cao Yang, Chinese international fo

How popular is the name Yang in 2025?

Yang did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Yang?

338 babies have been named Yang in the United States since 1981, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Yang most popular?

Yang peaked in 1988, when 21 newborns received the name.

Is Yang a boy or girl name?

Yang is used for both: about 14% of babies named Yang have been girls and 86% boys.

Is the name Yang rising or falling?

Yang is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Yang?

Well-known people named Yang include Yang Chen-Ning (physicist), Yang Mi (actor), Yang Hyun-suk (musician).

Names like Yang

Names that sound and feel close to Yang: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Yang with similar names → More names starting with Y →