UK girl's name
Yilin
A feminine Chinese name meaning "elegant and beautiful".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Yilin is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yilin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5669, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 5 births.
This profile covers 18 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2012 to 2022. 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.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 18 living people in the UK are called Yilin. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Yilin ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2014, when 5 girls were registered as Yilin.
- • About 18 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yilin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5669
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2014
5 births
Estimated living
18
2026
Meaning
What does Yilin mean?
The name Yilin has its origins in Chinese culture, deriving from the Mandarin Chinese language. It is a relatively modern name, believed to have emerged in the late 20th century.
Yilin is a combination of two Chinese characters, "yi" (意) meaning "idea" or "thought," and "lin" (麟) representing the mythical Chinese unicorn creature known as the qilin. Together, the name Yilin can be interpreted as "beautiful thought" or "noble idea."
While the name itself does not have a long historical record, the individual characters that make up Yilin have been part of Chinese literature and philosophy for centuries. The character "lin" (麟), representing the qilin, has been a symbol of good fortune and auspicious beginnings in Chinese culture since ancient times.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Yilin was Yilin Wang, a Chinese scientist born in 1962. Wang made significant contributions to the field of molecular biology and was recognized for her research on gene regulation and DNA repair mechanisms.
Another notable figure was Yilin Luo, a Chinese artist and calligrapher born in 1937. Luo's works were heavily influenced by traditional Chinese painting styles, and he was renowned for his exquisite calligraphy pieces.
In the field of sports, Yilin Fu was a Chinese gymnast who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She won a silver medal in the women's team event, contributing to China's success in gymnastics.
Yilin Huang, born in 1982, is a Chinese entrepreneur and co-founder of the successful e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu. Her company has gained significant popularity among Chinese consumers for its social media-inspired shopping experience.
Lastly, Yilin Zhang, born in 1957, was a prominent Chinese writer and novelist. Her works often explored themes of family relationships, societal pressures, and the challenges faced by modern Chinese women. Her novel "Ling Yu's Dream" received critical acclaim and was widely read in China.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yilin over time
The chart below shows babies named Yilin registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2012 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Yilin, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yilin by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yilin 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 | #5625 | 6 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4811 | 12 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Yilin
- 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
Yilin: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yilin in the UK right now?
In 2022, Yilin was ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Yilin most popular?
The peak year on record was 2014, with 5 babies registered as Yilin in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yilin?
A feminine Chinese name meaning "elegant and beautiful".
How many people are called Yilin in the UK?
A total of 18 babies have been registered as Yilin across the 5 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.