Yahya

YAH-ya
Arabic, Turkish, and Persian form of Yochanan
"God is Gracious"

Yahya Origin and Meaning

The name Yahya is a boy's name of Arabic, Turkish origin meaning "God is Gracious".

Yahya is an Islamic name derived from the Hebrew Yochanan, making it both an honor for the prophet John the Baptist, and one of many international forms of John. In Islamic tradition, Yahya is celebrated for his gentleness, his goodness, and his dedication to and understanding of scriptures from a young age.
Currently popular in Tunisia, and Belgium, Yahya has also been on and off of the US Top 1000 charts since 2015. In a recent year, however, it was one of the fastest rising names, climbing 175 places and given to nearly 380 boys. It also made the England and Wales Top 100 for the first time in the same year.

Notable bearers include footballers Yahya Black and Yahya Gaad, and actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who may have had an influence on the rise of the name in the US.

# 706 in the US

Yahya Rank in US Top 1000

Popularity of the name Yahya

Famous People Named Yahya

  • Yahya Abdul
    Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh, President of The Gambia
  • Yahya Khan
    3rd President of Pakistan
  • Yahya Golmohammadi
    Iranian footballer
  • Yahya bey Dukagjini
    Ottoman poet and politician
  • Yahya Hassan
    Danish poet and politician of Palestinian descent