Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2018

Yi

Gender Unisex · 37% girls Rank 2025 #6,435 Trend ↓ Falling 27%
Rank 2025
#6,435
among boys · ↑804 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
24
named Yi · +20% vs 2024
How common
1 in 122,005
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2018
25 babies
All-time total
486
#10,490 all-time among boys
First recorded
1980
in Social Security records

Yi popularity over time

486 babies have been named Yi since 1980, 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 17 11 28 3 – #6,224
1990s 21 49 70 7 +150% #6,120
2000s 63 37 100 10 +43% #8,616
2010s 36 129 165 17 +65% #4,219
2020s (to 2025) 45 78 123 21 +24% #6,142

The story of Yi

Yi is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,435 in 2025 with 14 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1980, 486 American babies have been named Yi, about 63% boys and 37% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2018, when 25 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Yi stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Yi?

The median living Yi is about 11 years old; half are between 5 and 22. An estimated 500 people named Yi are alive in the United States today.

median 11 020406080100

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

Yi 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 10 #10,084 14 #6,435
2024 8 #12,120 12 #7,239
2023 11 #9,586 12 #7,275
2022 9 #11,206 15 #6,142
2021 – – 11 #7,565
2020 7 #13,413 14 #6,282
2019 8 #12,412 15 #6,093
2018 – – 25 #4,219
2017 6 #15,831 13 #6,665
2016 8 #12,838 11 #7,588
2015 9 #11,806 15 #5,985
2014 – – 11 #7,537
2013 – – 15 #5,909
2012 – – 11 #7,532
2011 – – 8 #9,574
2010 5 #19,748 5 #14,193
2009 – – 7 #10,943
2008 6 #17,436 – –
2007 7 #15,428 9 #8,890
2006 10 #11,391 – –
2005 8 #12,975 – –
2004 11 #9,874 6 #11,317
2003 6 #15,738 8 #8,616
2002 – – 7 #9,373
2001 9 #10,999 – –
2000 6 #14,996 – –
1995 – – 7 #7,782
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 5 #12,141 – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Yi

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

  1. 1 Yi Sun-sin Yi Sun-sin 16th-century Korean naval commander 1545–1598 · 16th century
  2. 2 Yi Jianlian Yi Jianlian Chinese basketball player (born 1987) Contemporary
  3. 3 Yi So-yeon Yi So-yeon South Korean astronaut (born 1978) Contemporary
  4. 4 Yi I Korean Confucian scholar (1536–1584) 16th century
  5. 5 Yi Hwang Yi Hwang Korean Confucian scholar (1501–1570) 16th century
  6. 6 Yi Xing Yi Xing 8th-century Buddhist monk and astronomer 683–727 · Medieval
  7. 7 Yi Siling Chinese sport shooter b. 1989 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Yi Kwang-su Yi Kwang-su Korean writer (1892–1950) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Yi?

The median living Yi is about 11 years old. Half of all living Yis are between 5 and 22 years old.

How many people named Yi are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Yi are alive in the United States, based on 486 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Yi in 2025?

Yi ranked #6,435 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 14 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Yi?

486 babies have been named Yi in the United States since 1980, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Yi most popular?

Yi peaked in 2018, when 25 newborns received the name.

Is Yi a boy or girl name?

Yi is used for both: about 37% of babies named Yi have been girls and 63% boys.

Is the name Yi rising or falling?

Yi has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Yi?

Well-known people named Yi include Yi Sun-sin (military personnel), Yi Jianlian (basketball player), Yi So-yeon (astronaut).

Names like Yi

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

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