Yu
Meaning
universe, cosmos (宇)
Famously borne by Guan Yu, the general China deified, still honored at altars from Hong Kong to San Francisco.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Yu has stayed rare in US records the whole time: no peak decade to name.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
295 people · the #19,280 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 1,000,000 · median age 45
Among people named Yu living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Yu
Most people given the name Yu in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Yu deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Yu truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Yu fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Chinese baby names · Names of generals and commanders · Short names · Gender-neutral names
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