UK girl's name
Yee
A Chinese surname or a masculine given name meaning "first" or "excellent".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2011. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Yee is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yee popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2011 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4764, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 5 births.
This profile covers 21 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 1996 to 2011. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 31 living people in the UK are called Yee. 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 2012 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Yee ranked #4764 for girls in England and Wales in 2011, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 5 girls were registered as Yee.
- • Yee ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #565 in 1986.
- • About 31 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yee as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4764
2011
Births in 2011
4
Latest year
Peak year
1998
5 births
Estimated living
31
2026
Meaning
What does Yee mean?
The given name Yee has its origins in Chinese culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese character "yi," which means "righteous" or "upright." This name was particularly popular in regions of China where Cantonese and other Yue Chinese dialects were spoken.
In ancient Chinese literature, the name Yee can be found in various philosophical and historical texts. For instance, there are references to figures with this name in the Analects of Confucius, a collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the renowned philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC).
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Yee was Yee Fung, a renowned scholar and calligrapher who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). His calligraphic works are still celebrated and studied by artists and historians today.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a notable figure named Yee Xingao gained recognition for his contributions to mathematics and astronomy. He is credited with improving the Chinese calendar system and making significant advancements in the field of celestial mechanics.
In more recent history, Yee Pang Yau, a prominent Hong Kong entrepreneur and philanthropist (1917-2016), left a lasting impact on the business world and charitable initiatives in the region.
Another individual of note is Yee Chiang, a Chinese-American mathematician (1936-2022) who made groundbreaking contributions to the field of differential geometry and was recognized with various prestigious awards, including the prestigious Wolf Prize in Mathematics.
Yee Ling, a renowned Chinese actress and singer (1937-2018), was a celebrated cultural icon who starred in numerous films and television shows, captivating audiences with her talent and charisma throughout her illustrious career.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the given name Yee, showcasing its rich cultural heritage and the diverse contributions of those who have borne this name across various fields.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yee over time
The chart below shows babies named Yee registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2011. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Yee, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2011, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yee by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4764 | 4 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3904 | 8 | 2 |
| 1990s | #2914 | 9 | 2 |
Geography
Where Yee is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Yee. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Yee ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #565 in 1986.
Across the UK
Yee in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#565 in 1986
3 years of NRS records, 10 total registered
Related
Names similar to Yee
- 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
Yee: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yee in the UK right now?
In 2011, Yee was ranked #4764 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Yee most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 5 babies registered as Yee in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yee?
A Chinese surname or a masculine given name meaning "first" or "excellent".
How many people are called Yee in the UK?
A total of 21 babies have been registered as Yee across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 10 more in Scotland.
Where is Yee most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Yee ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #565 in 1986. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.