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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. Yarrow

    • Origin:

      Botanical name, English

    • Meaning:

      "rough stream"

    • Description:

      Highly unusual as a baby name for either gender, Yarrow is an herb that grows wild and has long been used for its medicinal property. It's named for the mythical Achilles, who was said to carry yarrow into battle.
  2. Yuna

    • Origin:

      Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese, Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "superiority, gentleness, 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Yuri

    • Origin:

      Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "lily"

    • Description:

      Most familiar to American ears as the Russian variation of George. Not recommended for a daughter.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Yosemite

    • Origin:

      Native American tribal name

    • Meaning:

      "those who kill"

    • Description:

      The evocative name of one of our most beautiful national parks -- yes, but also the bombastic cartoon character, Yosemite Sam.
  16. Yoshi

    • Origin:

      Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "good, respectful"

    • Description:

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

    • Origin:

      Native American

    • Meaning:

      "yankee"

    • Description:

      A fancy TV western name that didn't catch on like fellow cowboys Luke and Josh, but definitely has a certain amount of charm. It is also spelled Yancy, as in the 1950s series Yancy Derringer. It was first spotted in the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron, which became a popular movie.
  18. Yuki

    • Origin:

      Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "snow"

    • Description:

      An appealing Japanese name with a nickname feel.
  19. 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.
  20. Yannick

    • Origin:

      Breton

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      Yannick originated as a diminutive of Yann, the Breton form of John. However, it has since become popular as a standalone name in its native region of Brittany, as well as in France as a whole, where it peaked at #31 in 1973-4. It remains well within the Top 500 in France to this day, and has also seen regular use in Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Quebec.