Yen
Feminine · “swiftlet”
Yen is given to both — 564 girls and 47 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Yen is a one-syllable Vietnamese name, Yến, the swiftlet, a small bird that builds its nest from its own saliva on sea cliffs. In English the same three letters mean a longing, and the story of that word runs through Chinatown.
How old is the name Yen?
Yen first appears in US birth records in 1975 — 50 years ago. The typical Yen alive today was born around 1990, making them about 35 years old. About 600 people named Yen are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Yen most popular?
Yen peaked in 1982, reaching #2770 nationally. See the whole 1982 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Yến to Yen
The story of Yen
Swiftlets nest on the cliffs and islands of the South China Sea, and their nests, made of hardened saliva, are gathered and cooked into bird's nest soup, one of the most prized foods in East Asia; in Vietnamese the bird and the delicacy share the word yến, and it is a favorite girl's name. The English word yen, a longing, came from a different place: Chinese immigrants in America spoke of yan, a craving for opium, and English took the word into slang and softened it. The Japanese currency is a third, unrelated yen.
Meaningscholars disagree
swiftlet, a small swallow-like bird
As a Vietnamese given name, Yến usually means the swiftlet or swallow. Written without its tone mark, Yen can also represent yên, peace or calm, and the two cannot be told apart on an American record.
How the name formed
- Yến
- Yen
Related forms: Yến
Pronouncing Yen
YEN
One syllable. In Vietnamese, Yến has a rising tone that English does not mark.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1975
- Most girls named
- 198233 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2770reached in 1982
- Change vs 2020
- 0.0%5 in 2022, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Yen in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Yến in Vietnamese — same name
Yens among us
people named Yen are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Yen sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is short and simple to write.
- Its meaning, a small graceful bird, is lovely.
- English speakers will think of the Japanese currency or the word for a longing.
- A very few boys have been given it; for them it will read as a girl's name to Vietnamese speakers.
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What they receive
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Yen
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Yens are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Yen are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Yen in 2025?
- Yen is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Yen with classmates?
- Yen will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More Y names
The most-given names starting with Y, all years combined.
Yvonne#2051 · Yolanda#3211 · Yvette#1622 · Yesenia#1896 · Yasmin#955 · Yasmine#1183 · Yaretzi#670 · Yadira#3832
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Yen? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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