UK girl's name
Yami
A feminine Japanese name meaning "darkness" or "night".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Yami is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yami popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 5 births.
This profile covers 8 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2017 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Yami is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 8 living people in the UK are called Yami. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Yami ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 5 girls were registered as Yami.
- • About 8 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yami as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4192
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2024
5 births
Estimated living
8
2026
Meaning
What does Yami mean?
The name Yami originates from the Japanese language, with its roots traced back to the ancient Shinto religion and the worship of nature spirits called "kami." The name is derived from the word "yami," which means "darkness" or "night" in Japanese. It is believed that the name was initially given to children born at night or during a particularly dark phase of the moon.
In ancient Japanese folklore, Yami was often personified as a deity or kami associated with the night, shadows, and the mysteries of the universe. The name carried a sense of mystique and was believed to bestow protection and guidance upon those who bore it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yami can be found in the Kojiki, an 8th-century Japanese chronicle that details the mythology and early history of Japan. The text mentions a legendary figure named Yami-no-Kami, who was revered as the primordial god of darkness and the night sky.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Yami:
1. Yami Gautama (c. 6th century BCE): An Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher, considered one of the principal disciples of the Buddha. 2. Yami Shunsuke (1794-1878): A Japanese samurai and military strategist who played a crucial role in the Boshin War, which led to the Meiji Restoration in Japan. 3. Yami Hiroshige (1797-1858): A celebrated Japanese ukiyo-e artist and one of the last great masters of the woodblock print tradition. 4. Yami Yukie (1925-2016): A renowned Japanese actress and singer, known for her roles in classic films such as "Tokyo Story" and "Late Autumn." 5. Yami Bhutia (born 1991): An Indian professional footballer who has represented the national team and has played for various clubs in India and abroad.
While the name Yami has its roots in Japanese culture, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, often with slightly different spellings or variations. However, the core meaning and significance of the name remain tied to its Japanese origins and the ancient reverence for the night and the mysteries of the cosmos.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yami over time
The chart below shows babies named Yami registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2017 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Yami, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yami by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yami was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4192 | 5 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5765 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Yami
- Yasmin 10,052
- Yusra 2,725
- Yasmine 2,474
- Yara 1,487
- Yazmin 806
- Yumna 601
- Yasmeen 527
- Yasmina 518
- Yasemin 513
- Yana 452
- Yvie 377
- Yvonne 368
FAQ
Yami: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yami in the UK right now?
In 2024, Yami was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Yami most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 5 babies registered as Yami in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yami?
A feminine Japanese name meaning "darkness" or "night".
How many people are called Yami in the UK?
A total of 8 babies have been registered as Yami across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.