Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1985

Yves

Meaning Unadapted borrowing from French Yves Gender Boy · 5% girls Rank 2025 #5,598 Trend ↑ Rising 13%

Unadapted borrowing from French Yves.

Rank 2025
#5,598
among boys · ↓161 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
26
named Yves · +8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 100,475
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1985
37 babies
All-time total
1,261
#4,579 all-time among boys
First recorded
1916
in Social Security records

Yves popularity over time

1,261 babies have been named Yves since 1916, 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
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 5 5 1 – #4,526
1920s – 5 5 1 0% #4,833
1930s – 5 5 1 0% #4,280
1940s – 12 12 1 +140% #3,313
1950s – 56 56 6 +367% #2,819
1960s – 149 149 15 +166% #1,756
1970s – 175 175 18 +17% #1,982
1980s 14 264 278 28 +59% #1,692
1990s 7 178 185 19 -33% #2,694
2000s – 126 126 13 -32% #4,384
2010s 13 131 144 14 +14% #4,588
2020s (to 2025) 25 96 121 20 +40% #4,359

The story of Yves

Yves is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,598 in 2025 with 17 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1916, 1,261 American babies have been named Yves. Its peak came in 1985, when 37 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 Yves stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Yves?

The median living Yves is about 36 years old; half are between 18 and 48. An estimated 1,200 people named Yves are alive in the United States today.

median 36 020406080100

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

Yves 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 9 #10,895 17 #5,598
2024 6 #15,232 18 #5,437
2023 10 #10,289 12 #7,280
2022 – – 12 #7,245
2021 – – 24 #4,359
2020 – – 13 #6,612
2019 – – 12 #7,159
2018 – – 17 #5,533
2017 – – 22 #4,588
2016 – – 15 #6,046
2015 8 #12,967 14 #6,315
2014 – – 9 #8,762
2013 5 #19,203 10 #8,098
2012 – – 14 #6,294
2011 – – 11 #7,491
2010 – – 7 #10,740
2009 – – 10 #8,298
2008 – – 11 #7,687
2007 – – 14 #6,257
2006 – – 9 #8,713
2005 – – 13 #6,215
2004 – – 9 #8,135
2003 – – 12 #6,248
2002 – – 13 #5,717
2001 – – 17 #4,669
2000 – – 18 #4,384
1995 – – 11 #5,495
1990 – – 25 #2,694
1985 – – 37 #1,697
1980 9 #7,413 27 #2,056
1975 – – 17 #2,538
1970 – – 10 #3,280
1965 – – 15 #2,177
1960 – – 21 #1,811
1955 – – 7 #3,500
1950 – – 6 #3,679
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Yves

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

  1. 1 Yves Saint Laurent Yves Saint Laurent French fashion designer (1936–2008) Contemporary
  2. 2 Yves Bissouma Yves Bissouma Mali international footballer (born 1996) Contemporary
  3. 3 Yves Montand Yves Montand French-Italian actor and singer (1921–1991) Contemporary
  4. 4 Yves Klein Yves Klein French artist (1928–1962) Contemporary
  5. 5 Yves Tanguy Yves Tanguy French surrealist painter (1900–1955) Contemporary
  6. 6 Yves Leterme Yves Leterme Belgian politician (born 1960) Contemporary
  7. 7 Yves Congar Yves Congar Dominican priest and cardinal (1904–1995) Contemporary
  8. 8 Yves Rossy Yves Rossy Swiss military-trained pilot and an aviation enthusiast b. 1959 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Yves Allégret Yves Allégret French film director (1905–1987) 1907–1987 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Yves Rocher French businessman (1930–2009) Contemporary
  11. 11 Yves Robert Yves Robert French director (1920-2002) Contemporary
  12. 12 Yves Larock Yves Larock Swiss DJ and record producer b. 1977 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Yves Meyer Yves Meyer French mathematician (b. 1939) Contemporary
  14. 14 Yves Bonnefoy Yves Bonnefoy French poet, essayist, and translator (1923–2016) Contemporary
  15. 15 Yves Boisset Yves Boisset French film director and scriptwriter (1939–2025) Contemporary
  16. 16 Yves Lampaert Yves Lampaert Belgian cyclist b. 1991 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Yves Chauvin Yves Chauvin French chemist and Nobel Prize laureate 1930–2015 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Yves Vanderhaeghe Belgian football manager and former player b. 1970 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Yves Giraud-Cabantous French racing driver (1904–1973) Contemporary
  20. 20 Yves Dreyfus Yves Dreyfus French fencer (1931–2021) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Yves?

The median living Yves is about 36 years old. Half of all living Yvess are between 18 and 48 years old.

How many people named Yves are alive today?

An estimated 1,200 people named Yves are alive in the United States, based on 1,261 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Yves mean?

Unadapted borrowing from French Yves.

How popular is the name Yves in 2025?

Yves ranked #5,598 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 17 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Yves?

1,261 babies have been named Yves in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Yves most popular?

Yves peaked in 1985, when 37 newborns received the name.

Is Yves a boy or girl name?

Yves is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 95% of babies with the name.

Is the name Yves rising or falling?

Yves is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Yves?

Well-known people named Yves include Yves Saint Laurent (fashion designer), Yves Bissouma (soccer player), Yves Montand (actor).

Names like Yves

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

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