Yusei
A Japanese masculine name meaning "planet-keeper" or "celestial protector".
Name Census estimates that about 54 living Americans carry the first name Yusei. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yusei today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yusei births was 2019 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yusei. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Yusei. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
54
~ 1 in 6,347,303 Americans
Peak year
2019
9 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2019 SSA rank
#8,864
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Yusei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yusei from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 38 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yusei by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Yusei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yusei
The given name Yusei has its origins in Japanese culture and language. It is a masculine name that combines the Japanese words "yu" meaning "superior" or "excellent", and "sei" meaning "star" or "constellation". The name can be interpreted as "excellent star" or "superior constellation".
The earliest recorded use of the name Yusei dates back to the late 19th century in Japan. It gained popularity in the early 20th century, particularly after the renowned Japanese astronomer Yusei Endo was born in 1901. Endo made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and played a crucial role in the development of Japan's space program.
In ancient Japanese literature, the name Yusei is not explicitly mentioned. However, references to stars and constellations are abundant, reflecting the Japanese reverence for celestial bodies and their significance in traditional beliefs and cultural practices.
One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Yusei was Yusei Tachikawa, a Japanese politician and diplomat born in 1893. He served as the Japanese ambassador to various countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, during the mid-20th century.
Another prominent figure with the name Yusei was Yusei Nakai, a Japanese architect born in 1925. He was renowned for his innovative and modernist designs, which left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of Japan.
In the realm of sports, Yusei Kikuchi, a Japanese professional baseball pitcher born in 1991, has gained international recognition. He currently plays for the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Yusei Matsui, a Japanese manga artist born in 1981, is also noteworthy for his popular works such as "Nana" and "Takumi-kun Series", which have garnered a significant following both in Japan and abroad.
Lastly, Yusei Ono, a Japanese entrepreneur and business leader born in 1965, has made a name for himself as the CEO and President of Honda Motor Company, one of the world's largest automobile manufacturers.
People
Yusei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yusei as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yusei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yusei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 54 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yusei going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 6,347,303 US residents.
Is Yusei a common name?
We classify Yusei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 55.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 54 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yusei most popular?
The single biggest year for Yusei was 2019, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yusei is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Yusei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yusei a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yusei in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Yusei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yusei in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Yusei can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Yusei?
You can see how many people have the name Yusei on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.