Yahya sits comfortably in the UK charts at #93 in 2024 — recognisable but not overwhelming. Your child may occasionally share their name.
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UK Rank 2024
#93
US Rank #706
About the Name Yahya
2024 marks Yahya's peak year in UK records so far, sitting at UK #93. The name has climbed 58 places in the last five years — a significant surge by any measure. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It briefly reached the UK top 100, though it typically sits a little further down the charts.
Yahya is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it sits at #706 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Yahya
Unlikely. With around 583 UK babies named Yahya per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Yahya in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Yahya is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 58 places over the last five years to #93 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Yahya is more popular in the UK (#93) than in the US (#706). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Yahya include: Yahya Saree — Yahya Qasim Saree is a Yemeni military officer who serves as the spokesperson for the Supreme Political Council-led Yemeni Armed Forces, a renegade faction of...; Ahmed Yahya — Ahmed Yahya Mahmoud Al-Hajjaj is an Iraqi professional footballer who currently plays for Iraq Stars League club Al-Shorta and the Iraq national team.; Yahya Jammeh — Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh is a Gambian politician and former soldier, who served as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017..
Yahya ranks #706 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
583
UK babies named Yahya (2024)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.3
In a school of 600
↑ 58 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Yahya
Likely around 1 other Yahya in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2022–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Yahya
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Yahya Qasim Saree is a Yemeni military officer who serves as the spokesperson for the Supreme Political Council-led Yemeni Armed Forces, a renegade faction of Yemen's armed forces aligned with Ansar Allah. He frequently appears in military statements made by the Yemeni Armed Forces, most notably on the attacks targeting Israel-linked vessels passing through the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh is a Gambian politician and former soldier, who served as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017. He was the Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 to 1996.
Yahya Golmohammadi is an Iranian football coach and a former player. He is one of only eleven Iranians to score in a World Cup and he is the oldest player to score on his first World Cup start, doing so for Iran in 2006 against Mexico.
Yahya Bakhtiar (Urdu: یحیی بختیار) was a Pakistani lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of Pakistan. Yahya was born in 1921 at Quetta, Balochistan, British India.
Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya (Arabic: يحيى بن علي بن غانية), more commonly known as Ibn Ghaniya, was governor of Valencia and Murcia and of al-Andalus. He was son of Ali ibn Yusuf, Almoravid emir, and the princess Ghaniya and brother of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Ganiya, Almoravid vali of Mallorca.
ibn Yahya (or ibn Yachya) may refer to: David ibn Yaḥya ben Solomon rabbi of Lisbon, author of the "Leshon Limmudim" Gedaliah ibn Yahya ben Joseph (c. 1515 – c.
Yahya Hassan was a Danish poet and political activist of Palestinian descent, whose poems and public statements criticizing both Islam and Danish policies on migration and participation in armed conflicts made him a much-debated and controversial figure. His most notable work, Yahya Hassan, as of 2013 was the best-selling debut poetry collection in Denmark, and has been printed in more than 120,000 copies.