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Dog Names That Start With Y

Brynn McKeon
By Brynn McKeon
Updated Thu Sep 28 2023
Dog Names That Start With Y

Dog names that start with Y are few and far between, making this an especially unique initial with no names starting with Y making the Top 100 dog names.

Female dog names that start with Y that are currently trending on Nameberry include Yara, Yvette, and Yuna. Unique female dog names that start with Y include Yetta, Yadira, and Yola.

Male dog names that start with Y that are currently trending on Nameberry include Yves, Yoshi, and Yukio. Unique male dog names that start with Y include Yancy, York, and Yarrow.

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  1. Yuna

    • Origin:

      Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese, Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "superiority, gentleness, or citrus fruit; lamb; willow, abundant, child, happy + to reach, to hold; jade + elegant, beautiful; June"

    • Description:

      An attractive, widely appealing, multicultural option, Yuna has its roots in Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese. KPOP singer Yuna may be attracting some attention to her name, as might influencer Yunabugs who shares her life with her eight dachshunds on Instagram. Also used in the game franchise Final Fantasy, it is a popular choice in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
  2. Yara

    • Origin:

      Arabic, Persian, Brazilian, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "friend, helper; strength; water nymph; honeycomb"

    • Description:

      The multicultural Yara is a sweet but substantial choice that could make a more unusual take on Sara and also work in multiple languages Popular in Portugal, The Netherlands, and Switzerland, familiar in the UK and France, it entered the US Top 1000 in 2017 and has been climbing the charts ever since.
  3. Yves

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "yew wood"

    • Description:

      On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler and clear up the issue.
  4. Yvette

    • Origin:

      French, feminine of Yves

    • Meaning:

      "yew tree"

    • Description:

      This French name has the elegance of other '-ette' names such as Colette and is a botanical name without being too obvious about it.
  5. Yvonne

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "yew wood"

    • Description:

      Peaking in the 1950s, Yvonne has now dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2003 and doesn't look set to return soon, although its rare Y initial might endear it to some. Yvaine, from Neil Gaiman's Stardust, has more modern appeal.
  6. Yolanda

    • Origin:

      Spanish from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "violet flower"

    • Description:

      Bold and distinctive, Yolanda is a floral name that doesn't sound frilly or delicate. Ultimately deriving from the Greek words ioles meaning "violet" and anthos meaning "flower", it appears in a variety of forms internationally, including Jolanda, Jolanta, Iolanthe, Iolanta, Iolanda, and Jolana.
  7. York

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "from the yew estate"

    • Description:

      Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and State were named after the Duke of York.
  8. Yanis

    • Origin:

      Greek, French, from Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"

    • Description:

      One of the relatives on the widely-branching family of John names, Yanis is in the French Top 50 and was a fast rising choice in the UK in 2022, when it went from being outside the Top 1000 to within the Top 700.
  9. Yadiel

    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Yehudiel

    • Meaning:

      "God has heard"

    • Description:

      This name, which is the Spanish version of the Hebrew name of one of the archangels, Yehudiel, appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2008 and has been on and off the charts since. Angel-esque boy names ending in L are especially stylish right now, meaning we may see Yadiel continue to climb.
  10. Yari

    • Origin:

      Spanish, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "gold"

    • Description:

      The derivation and meaning of the Hebrew or Spanish names for girls Yari may be uncertain, but the name might get more attention thanks to its similarity to Yara, which means butterfly and is becoming more popular for baby girls throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
  11. Yuri

    • Origin:

      Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "lily"

    • Description:

      Most familiar to American ears as the Russian variation of George. Not recommended for a daughter.
  12. Yuki

    • Origin:

      Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "snow; happiness"

    • Description:

      Short yet impactful, this Japanese name with has two appealing meanings, depending on which kanji are used. It may be associated with joy, or with a wintery scene.
  13. Ysabel

    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Isabel, variation of Elizabeth, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"

    • Description:

      Ysabel is the original spelling of this ever-more-popular name, though to English-speakers, the initial Y may confuse pronunciation. Only 14 baby girls were given the Ysabel spelling in the US last year, while Isabel and Isabelle were each given to about 1800 babies.
  14. Yarden

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "to flow down, descend"

    • Description:

      The name from which Jordan arose, Yarden has a nice combination of river imagery and a sound connoting a garden. Like Jordan, used for both sexes.
  15. Yuri

    • Origin:

      Russian variation of George

    • Description:

      Common Russian name familiarized here via cosmonaut Yury Gagarin and a character in Dr. Zhivago, but we don't see it ever gaining permanent resident status.
  16. Yann

    • Origin:

      French/Breton variation of John

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      This might be a better choice than the similarly pronounced Jan, to avoid gender confusion.
  17. Yancy

    • Origin:

      American variation of Jansen, Dutch, Native American

    • Meaning:

      "son of Jan; yankee"

    • Description:

      Yancy has two separate American origins — first as the Native American term for "Yankee," and second as the Americanized variation of the common Dutch surname Jansen. Jan being the Dutch form of John, Yancy could work to honor anyone in your life with a John-related name.
  18. Yaretzi

    • Origin:

      Nahuatl, Aztec

    • Meaning:

      "you will always be loved"

    • Description:

      This unusual name from the Nahuatl or Aztec language has one of the best meanings around. It sprang onto the US popularity list in 2006 and made a brief appearance in the Top 300 before sliding down a bit. It's popular in Mexico and with US Americans of Latino or Hispanic heritage, hitting on two big girl name trends in those communities: Ya- beginnings and -i endings.
  19. Yareli

    • Origin:

      Native American, Spanish variation of Yara, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "water lady; small butterfly"

    • Description:

      Possibly a derivative variation of Yara, a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries meaning butterfly, Yareli was given to more than 400 baby girls in the US last year.
  20. Yoshi

    • Origin:

      Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "good, respectful"

    • Description:

      A classic Japanese name known to kids around the world as a Nintendo video-game character.