Yaw is a boys' name of Akan origin, meaning “born on Thursday”, Akan day name. An Akan day name from Ghana given to boys born on Thursday; the girls' equivalent is Yaa.

Yaw

Gender: Boy
Say it: YOW
Origin: Akan
UK rank, 2025: #4,301 for boys
US rank, 2025: #10,690 for boys

Yaw is a boys' name of Akan origin, meaning “born on Thursday”. In 2025 it ranked 4,301st for boys in the UK (4 babies) and 10,690th for boys in the US (6 babies).

What does Yaw mean?

Akan: Akan day name

“born on Thursday”

An Akan day name from Ghana given to boys born on Thursday; the girls' equivalent is Yaa.

Is Yaw a girl's or a boy's name?

Yaw is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 boys in the UK and 6 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Yaw in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 4,301st among boys
Babies in 2025: 4 about 1 in 75,000 boys
Five-year trend: Rising fast up 375% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 4 boys in the UK were named Yaw, making it the 4,301st most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 2010, with 11 boys.

Half of all the boys named Yaw in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 4,212th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 11 in 20102025

Yaw in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	4	#4,301
2024	5	#3,772
2023	10	#2,303
2022	7	#2,922
2021	3	#4,989
2020	0	–
2019	0	–
2018	4	#4,169
2017	4	#4,161
2016	3	#5,015
2015	4	#4,086
2014	6	#3,125
2013	4	#4,008
2012	5	#3,572
2011	4	#3,986
2010	11	#2,013
2009	8	#2,445
2008	8	#2,384
2007	9	#2,139
2006	6	#2,645
2005	10	#1,814
2004	6	#2,399
2003	6	#2,283
2002	5	#2,358
2001	6	#2,049
2000	0	–
1999	3	#3,043
1998	4	#2,531
1997	3	#2,979
1996	3	#2,949

How popular is Yaw in the US?

Rank in 2025: 10,690th among boys
Babies in 2025: 6 about 1 in 280,000 boys
Five-year trend: Too rare to call too few babies to tell
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 6 boys in the US were named Yaw, making it the 10,690th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 7,497th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 18 boys. It first appears in the records in 1973.

Half of all the boys named Yaw in the US since 1880 were born between 1995 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.

1973Busiest: 18 in 19972025

Yaw in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	6	#10,690
2024	12	#6,827
2023	6	#10,815
2022	9	#8,293
2021	8	#8,820
2020	10	#7,497
2019	9	#8,209
2018	8	#8,813
2017	8	#8,835
2016	9	#8,141
2015	12	#6,671
2014	5	#12,102
2013	7	#9,650
2012	13	#6,300
2011	11	#7,002
2010	10	#7,585
2009	9	#8,305
2008	13	#6,388
2007	7	#9,782
2006	12	#6,455
2005	8	#8,292
2004	13	#5,807
2003	12	#5,870
2002	16	#4,697
2001	14	#5,135
2000	10	#6,309
1999	12	#5,311
1998	8	#6,837
1997	18	#3,733
1996	8	#6,489
1995	7	#6,985
1994	0	–
1993	9	#5,764
1992	9	#5,652
1991	11	#4,752
1990	8	#5,816
1989	0	–
1988	7	#5,745
1987	0	–
1986	10	#4,126
1985	5	#6,517
1984	0	–
1983	5	#6,234
1982	0	–
1981	5	#6,260
1980	5	#6,248
1979	5	#6,054
1978	10	#3,613
1977	0	–
1976	0	–
1975	0	–
1974	0	–
1973	6	#4,503

Names like Yaw

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Yusuf, Yug, Minh, Yunus, Tai, Kai, Yahya, Loki, Kairo, Yoan, Yitzchok, Sami

More Akan names

Nana, Mansa, Ashanti, Kofi, Kwame, Ohemaa, Akosua, Obrempong, Ama, Kwabena, Akua, Kwaku, Nhyira, Abena, Kwadwo, Adom

Every Akan name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Yaw: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/yaw, updated 20 October 2026.