Yara
Yara was the 507th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 585 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 730 places. More babies were named Yara in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning lady of the water (Tupi, via Brazilian Iara); other sources possible · Tupi, Portuguese
Say it YAR-uh /ˈjɑrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #507 girls, up 147 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 585girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025585 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,565babies recorded
What does the name Yara mean?
Yara is used in several cultures, and its sources differ. Wiktionary lists Portuguese Yara as a spelling of Iara, the water spirit of Brazilian folklore, a mermaid-like figure. Wiktionary derives that name from Nheengatu (a Tupi language) iiyara, mistress of the water, from ií, water, and yara, lord or lady. Yara is used in other languages too, but our sources do not document a meaning outside Brazil, and Wiktionary's English entry gives no origin.
iiyara (Nheengatu (Tupi), “mistress of the water”)ií (Nheengatu (Tupi), “water”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Brazilian (Tupi) origin is documented in Wiktionary; other uses of Yara are not explained by our sources.
Related names: Iara, Yahra.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Iara' (Portuguese section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Yara' (Portuguese section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Yara' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Yara popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 31 since 2018, 7 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #507 | 585 |
| 2020 | #654 | 441 |
| 2010 | #1,273 | 188 |
| 2000 | #2,054 | 81 |
| 1990 | #2,956 | 39 |
| 1980 | #1,963 | 55 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Yara, counting every spelling?
Yara is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #496 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #507 for Yara on its own. Together these spellings went to 629 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yara | 585 | #507 | 2,572 |
| Yarah | 27 | #4,982 | 123 |
| Yaara | 12 | #8,834 | 40 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Yara?
585 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Yara (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Yara born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Yara.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Yara?
About 7,500 people born in the US named Yara are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 18. That makes Yara a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Yara by state
How common Yara was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.6×), Michigan (2.3×), Virginia (2.1×), New Jersey (1.9×), Pennsylvania (1.8×). In 20 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Yara: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Yara, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Yara · Sibling names for Yara
Questions about the name Yara
What does Yara mean?
Yara is usually explained as “lady of the water (Tupi, via Brazilian Iara); other sources possible”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Yara?
Yara was the 507th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 585 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 730 places. More babies were named Yara in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Yara a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Yara in the US.
Where is Yara most popular?
In 2021–2025, Yara was most common in District of Columbia (0.84 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and Michigan.