UK name, mostly girls
Yu
A gender-neutral name of Chinese origin meaning "jade" or "precious".
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.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 322 boys.
Yu is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Yu popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 32 births.
This profile covers 315 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. 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 9% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 347 living people in the UK are called Yu. 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
- • Yu ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 32 girls were registered as Yu.
- • Yu ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #681 in 2014.
- • Yu is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 347 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yu as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 50.5% of Yu registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2012
32 births
Estimated living
347
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Yu
In England and Wales birth records, Yu has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 50.5% of registrations are for boys and 49.5% 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.
Yu registered for boys
- Ranked #5,119 in 2024
- 3 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (35 births)
Yu registered for girls
- Ranked #5,891 in 2024
- 3 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (32 births)
Meaning
What does Yu mean?
The given name Yu has its origins in Chinese culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is a monosyllabic name derived from the Chinese character 雨, which means "rain" or "precipitation." This character is composed of the radicals representing "clouds" and "water," symbolizing the life-giving essence of rainfall.
Yu is a name that appears in various Chinese texts and historical records, including the classic novel "Journey to the West," where it is the name of one of the main characters, the Monkey King. In this literary work, Yu represents a mischievous yet heroic figure, known for his extraordinary abilities and determination.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yu can be found in the ancient Chinese text "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian), written by Sima Qian around 109 BCE. This text mentions Yu the Great, a legendary ruler and engineer who is credited with taming the floods and establishing a system of governance during the Xia Dynasty (circa 2070–1600 BCE).
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Yu. One such person is Yu Xin (513-581 CE), a prominent calligrapher and scholar during the Southern and Northern Dynasties of China. His masterful calligraphic works have been celebrated and studied for centuries.
Another famous Yu is Yu Dafu (1896-1945), a renowned Chinese writer and poet who played a significant role in the May Fourth Movement, a cultural and literary renaissance in early 20th century China. His works explored themes of individualism, feminism, and social critique, leaving a lasting impact on Chinese literature.
In the realm of science, Yu Ming (1884-1949) was a pioneering Chinese physicist and educator. He made significant contributions to the development of modern physics in China and played a crucial role in establishing the country's first physics laboratory.
Lastly, Yu Zhengsheng (born 1945) is a prominent Chinese politician who served as the Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, one of the highest advisory bodies in China, from 2013 to 2018.
The name Yu continues to be a popular choice for boys in Chinese-speaking communities, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and associations with historical figures who have left their mark on various fields.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yu over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Yu in England and Wales, from 1996 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 Yu, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 32 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yu by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yu 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 | #4290 | 15 | 3 |
| 2010s | #2031 | 167 | 9 |
| 2000s | #1947 | 130 | 9 |
| 1990s | #3824 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Yu is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Yu. 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.
Yu ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #681 in 2014.
Across the UK
Yu in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#681 in 2014
8 years of NRS records, 34 total registered
Related
Names similar to Yu
- 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
Yu: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yu in the UK right now?
In 2024, Yu was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Yu most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 32 babies registered as Yu in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yu?
A gender-neutral name of Chinese origin meaning "jade" or "precious".
How many people are called Yu in the UK?
A total of 315 babies have been registered as Yu across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 34 more in Scotland.
Where is Yu most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Yu ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #681 in 2014. 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.