UK girl's name
Yumi
A feminine Japanese name meaning beautiful, gorgeous or a superior or excellent beauty.
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.
Yumi is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yumi popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3015, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 8 births.
This profile covers 64 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2001 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.
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 64 living people in the UK are called Yumi. 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
- • Yumi ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 8 girls were registered as Yumi.
- • About 64 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yumi as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3015
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2011
8 births
Estimated living
64
2026
Meaning
What does Yumi mean?
The name Yumi is believed to have originated from Japan, where it is a feminine name with multiple meanings and origins. One possible derivation is from the Japanese word "yumi," which means "bow" or "archery bow," symbolizing strength and skill. Another potential origin is from the combination of the Japanese words "yu" (superiority or gentleness) and "mi" (beauty or fruit), suggesting a name with connotations of elegance and grace.
In Japanese culture, the name Yumi has been associated with various historical figures and literary works. One notable mention is in the Genji Monogatari, a classical Japanese novel written in the early 11th century, where a character named Yumi is described as a talented poet and calligrapher.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Yumi can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE) in Japan. During this time, aristocratic families often chose names with poetic or symbolic meanings, reflecting the cultural values of the era.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Yumi was Yumi no Tsubone (962-1014 CE), a Japanese lady-in-waiting and waka poet who served at the imperial court during the late Heian period. Her poetry was highly regarded and included in several prestigious anthologies.
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), Yumi no Naishi (dates unknown) was a renowned Buddhist nun and calligrapher who was admired for her artistic talents and spiritual devotion.
During the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), Yumi Kuwayama (1619-1696) was a respected female samurai and martial artist known for her expertise in naginata (a Japanese pole weapon) and her role in defending her domain.
In the modern era, notable individuals with the name Yumi include Yumi Matsutoya (born 1957), a popular Japanese singer and songwriter known for her contributions to the City Pop genre, and Yumi Zouma (formed 2014), an indie pop band from New Zealand named after the hurricane that struck the country in 2005.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and cultural significance associated with the name Yumi, which has been carried by influential figures across various disciplines throughout Japanese history and beyond.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yumi over time
The chart below shows babies named Yumi registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 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 Yumi, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yumi by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yumi 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 | #4464 | 15 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4394 | 34 | 7 |
| 2000s | #4257 | 15 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Yumi
- 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
Yumi: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yumi in the UK right now?
In 2024, Yumi was ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Yumi most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 8 babies registered as Yumi in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yumi?
A feminine Japanese name meaning beautiful, gorgeous or a superior or excellent beauty.
How many people are called Yumi in the UK?
A total of 64 babies have been registered as Yumi across the 14 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.