UK name, mostly boys
You
A Chinese masculine given name meaning "have" or "possession".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2015. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 3 girls.
You is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for You popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2015 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4747, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 3 births.
This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2010 to 2015. 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called You. 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 2016 or 2026.
Key insights
- • You ranked #4747 for boys in England and Wales in 2015, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 3 boys were registered as You.
- • You is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have You as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 66.7% of You registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4747
2015
Births in 2015
3
Latest year
Peak year
2010
3 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for You
In England and Wales birth records, You has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 66.7% of registrations are for boys and 33.3% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
You registered for boys
- Ranked #4,747 in 2015
- 3 boys registered in 2015
- Peak: 2010 (3 births)
You registered for girls
- Ranked #5,876 in 2012
- 3 girls registered in 2012
- Peak: 2012 (3 births)
Meaning
What does You mean?
The name You has its origins in the English language, and it can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ye," which was a plural form of the second-person pronoun "thou." This word was commonly used in formal and literary contexts and had a long history in the English language.
The name You was not widely used as a given name until the 19th century, when it started to gain popularity among English-speaking communities. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in 1825, when You Wang, a Chinese translator and interpreter, was born in Guangzhou, China.
In the late 19th century, the name You gained some recognition with the birth of You Lushan (1864-1933), a Chinese revolutionary and politician who played a significant role in the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty in 1911.
Another notable figure with the name You was You Youzhi (1867-1940), a Chinese philosopher and educator who was a prominent figure in the May Fourth Movement and the New Culture Movement in the early 20th century.
In the 20th century, the name You became more widespread, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such person was You Jianxia (1905-1997), a Chinese mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of differential geometry.
Another prominent figure with the name You was You Xiaoxian (1914-2005), a Chinese actress and singer who was one of the most celebrated performers of her time in China.
While the name You was not as common as some other names, it has been carried by several notable individuals throughout history, particularly in China and other parts of East Asia. However, it is important to note that the use of the name You as a given name was relatively rare in many other cultures and regions of the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
You over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as You in England and Wales, from 2010 to 2015. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For You, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2015, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
You by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether You 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 | #4713 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to You
- Yusuf 11,801
- Yahya 5,758
- Yunus 2,009
- Yaseen 1,799
- Yasin 1,797
- Yuvraj 1,605
- Yaqub 1,517
- Yousef 1,489
- Yousuf 1,454
- Yasir 1,056
- Yash 876
- Youssef 749
FAQ
You: questions and answers
How popular is the name You in the UK right now?
In 2015, You was ranked #4747 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was You most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 3 babies registered as You in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of You?
A Chinese masculine given name meaning "have" or "possession".
How many people are called You in the UK?
A total of 6 babies have been registered as You 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.