Holding steady.
Popularity of Yoko since 1923
Babies named Yoko per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 11 |
| 1930s | 40 |
| 1940s | 6 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 18 |
| 1970s | 100 |
| 1980s | 128 |
| 1990s | 90 |
| 2000s | 57 |
| 2010s | 21 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Yoko is a Japanese feminine name that first appeared in U.S. records in 1923, but its peak came much later, in 1981, likely influenced by the cultural prominence of artist Yoko Ono. Despite that peak year, the name has never entered the top 1000 rankings. As of 2025, its trajectory is stable but with very low usage; the one-in-N rate remains undefined due to insufficient births for a reliable statistic. The name saw a modest increase in the 1980s but has since returned to rare usage. Most bearers are of Japanese descent or have an affinity for Japanese culture. Yoko pairs well with other traditional Japanese names like Akiko or Kenji for siblings.
Yoko is a Japanese feminine name typically written with two kanji characters. The first character yo (陽) means 'sun, positive' or alternatively yo (洋) meaning 'ocean', and the second ko (子) means 'child'. The name became familiar to Western audiences through the artist Yoko Ono, born in 1933. It has been in use in Japan for centuries but saw a spike in U.S. awareness in the 1970s and 1980s.
“Yoko” around the world
Where Yoko lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Youko, Yōko
Sibling names for Yoko
Names that share Yoko's style, for a brother or sister.
