Given name & surname · also Asian
Yu
“resembling jade”·“one who is honored; born during a rainfall”
Yu is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “resembling jade” and “one who is honored; born during a rainfall” (Chinese). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Mandarin盂
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “resembling jade” and “one who is honored; born during a rainfall” (Chinese). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Chinese.
How it developed
In English usage, Yu is a short form of CANADA. In English usage, Yu is a short form of Yukon.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1969. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Yu through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 830
- 449 boys · 381 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 35 babies
- 2025
- 9
- #8,892 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 8,892 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 18.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 17 in 2002. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,140 as a first name in 2020; 66,156 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Yu’s family of names
In English usage, Yu is a short form of CANADA. In Filipino usage, Yu as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with Yang. In English usage, Yu has a related form in Yu..
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Yu has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Chinese roots to each of them.
8 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 35
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- 盂Mandarin
- Yongequivalent
- Yangdoublet · Tagalog
- Ruequivalent
- 裕equivalent
- 諭equivalent
- 俞equivalent
- 儒equivalent
Show 27 moreShow fewer
- 漁equivalent
- Uequivalent
- 유equivalent
- Yeohcognate · English
- 豫equivalent
- Iequivalent
- 語equivalent
- 羽equivalent
- 愈equivalent
- 輿equivalent
- 郁equivalent
- 魚equivalent
- 如equivalent
- 顒equivalent
- 鱼equivalent
- 宇equivalent
- 毓equivalent
- 育equivalent
- Ukequivalent
- Yukequivalent
- 语equivalent
- 玉equivalent
- 鬱equivalent
- 우equivalent
- 遇equivalent
- 鈺equivalent
- Ulequivalent
See also 11
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Yu
- Xiang YuChinese military leader231 BC–201 BC
- Sejo of Joseon7th King of Joseon Dynasty in Korean history (1417–1468)
- Zhou YuChinese military general and strategist (175-210)
- Emperor Daizong of Tangemperor of the Tang Dynasty727–779
- Gao YuChinese dissident journalist (born 1944)
- Yang YuChinese swimmerborn 1985
- Xie YuChinese sports shooter (born 2000)
- Sun YuChinese film director (1900-1990)
- Wang YuChinese human rights lawyer (1971-)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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