Yaw

Yaw is a boy's name of African origin meaning “born on a Thursday.” In 2024 it was given to 11 boys in the United States.

Yaw at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
African
Meaning
“born on a Thursday”

About the name Yaw

Yaw belongs to the African tradition. Its meaning — “born on a Thursday” — is the sense carried by its African roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Yaw first appears in Social Security records in 1973. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #3848 in 1978, and in 2024 11 babies received the name — 398 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Yaw in US records

First recorded (US)
1973
Best US rank
#3848 in 1978
Peak year
1997
Babies named Yaw in 2024
11
Total since 1880
398

Yaw in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#1716 in 2005
Babies named Yaw in 2025
4
Total since 1996
149

Similar names

More names from the African shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Yaw mean?

Yaw means “born on a Thursday” in its African roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Yaw a boy or girl name?

Yaw is a boy name. In 2024, 11 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Yaw?

Yaw comes from the African tradition.

How popular is the name Yaw?

Yaw first appears in US records in 1973. Its best-ever ranking was #3848 in 1978, and 11 babies were given the name in 2024.

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.