Here is a list of German names that start with Y. The page includes German names for boys and girls from different eras, as well as last names.
The list is divided into several sections. The modern names are baby names and other names popular in the 2000s, while the traditional names are those common among people born in the 1900s. Some names that have remained popular over the years appear on both lists.
Most of the first names come from data provided by Beliebte-Vornamen.de, a site that lists the most common German names over the years. The surnames are the 1,000 German family names that are currently the most popular. All of the names also appear in my Random German Name Generator.
- Traditional Male German Names that Start with Y
- Modern Male German Names that Start with Y
- Traditional German Names that Start with Y
- Modern Female German Names that Start with Y
- German Last Names that Start with Y
There are more modern than traditional names on the lists because I used a larger pool of modern names. The 2000s data includes the 500 most common names today and the top 10 from previous years, while the 1900s data only includes the top 10 for each year. Therefore, the longer lists don’t necessarily mean that an initial has become more popular over time.
Retro German Boy Names That Begin with Y
In the past, there were no common German boy names starting with the letter Y. The letter was historically absent from native German phonology and spelling.
Popular 2000s German Male Baby Names Starting with Y
- Yahya
- Yakup
- Yaman
- Yasin
- Yazan
- Younes
- Youssef
- Yunus
- Yusef
- Yusuf
The rise of Y names in recent decades reflects immigration and cultural influence from Arabic- and Turkish-speaking communities.
Classic Old German Girl Baby Names Beginning with Y
- Yvonne
The name Yvonne comes from France, where it originated as the feminine form of Yvon, itself a diminutive of Yves. The root of all these names is the Old French word iv (or if), meaning “yew”, referring to the yew tree — a symbol of longevity and resilience.
Contemporary German Feminine Names Starting with Y
- Yara
- Ylva
- Ylvie
- Yusra
Common German Surnames Beginning with Y
- Yilmaz
The surname Yılmaz is of Turkish origin. It comes from the Turkish adjective yılmaz, which literally means “undaunted,” “fearless,” or “brave.” Today, it’s among the top 10 most frequent surnames in Turkey, and it’s also widespread among Turkish diaspora communities in Germany.
About This List
I have made similar lists of German names for all the letters of the alphabet from A to Z:
- Names that Start with A
- Names that Start with B
- Names that Start with C
- Names that Start with D
- Names that Start with E
- Names that Start with F
- Names that Start with G
- Names that Start with H
- Names that Start with I
- Names that Start with J
- Names that Start with K
- Names that Start with L
- Names that Start with M
- Names that Start with N
- Names that Start with O
- Names that Start with P
- Names that Start with Q
- Names that Start with R
- Names that Start with S
- Names that Start with T
- Names that Start with U
- Names that Start with V
- Names that Start with W
- Names that Start with X
- Names that Start with Y
- Names that Start with Z
About Arimo Travels
My website, Arimo Travels, mostly focuses on sustainable travel, although I do write about other topics related to cultures and randomness as well. Besides a random German name generator, I have also created a random German city generator and written blog posts about my encounters in Germany.