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At a Glance: Name: Yale – Meaning: clearing, cultivated upland – Origin: Welsh/Brythonic (surname and place name) – Gender: primarily used for boys
Yale comes from Welsh and Brythonic roots, originally used as a surname and place name meaning 'clearing' or 'cultivated upland.' It's a name grounded in land and geography rather than anything more abstract or decorative. If you like names with a solid, place-rooted history, Yale fits that description.
Meaning & Origin of Yale
Meaning: Clearing, cultivated upland.
Origin: Welsh/Brythonic (surname and place name).
Source: Wiktionary.
Popularity of Yale
SSA records for Yale span 1908 to 2022. The name hit its highest point in 1916 at rank #1302 with 28 babies, and by 2022 had dropped to rank #14240 with just 5 babies given the name.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1908–2022.
Make Yale Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Yale, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Yale mean?
Clearing, cultivated upland. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Yale)
Is Yale a popular name right now?
Yale peaked at #1302 in 1916 and is ranked #14240 as of 2022. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1908–2022.)
📊 How popular is Yale? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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