10 Y Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Last week's list featured many historic Mediterranean gems. This week's list looks like the class list for a Northeastern prep school. Well, for the most part. Maybe not Yosemite.

Yale- I mean, you can't get much preppier than Yale. Just make sure he doesn't feel like he has to live up to his name.

Yancy- Yancy may sound like an upper-crust British name, but he actually also has Native American roots. The Native American version Yancey means "yankee," while the British name means "son of Jan."

Yannick- Yannick is a French name that arrived in the U.S. around 1980. He's currently at an all time American high, sitting pretty at #2902. Yannick is a form of John, and would make an interesting way to get to Nick. Other spellings include Yanick and Yannic.

Yarden- Ooh, Yarden is my favorite of today's list. This Hebrew name has ties to rivers and gardens, which I think is lovely. Fun fact: the name Jordan stems from Yarden.

Yeats- Yeats (which rhymes with and means "gates") is the perfect name for the son of poetry lovers. Poet William Butler Yeats is Irish, while his surname hails from England.

Yoel- The Hebrew form of Joel has a much more modern and pleasing sound. He's at #1507 in America, but is trendier in Israel and Spanish speaking countries.

Yonah- At #135, Jonah is a pretty popular name. That's why it's surprising to see that Yonah, the name he came from, is all the way down at #3195. I was expecting top 1500, at least. I mean, even Yannick is more popular. Yonah has everything modern parents are looking for in a boys name--he's short, soft, and ends in -ah. What's not to like?

York- Whether you live in NYC, or just love peppermint patties, York is a great name to have on the list. He's concise but strong--a deadly combination.

Yosemite- I did say these were names you never thought of using. If you're a fan of national parks or love Yosemite Sam, this could work for you. Maybe just as a middle though.

Yule- And, we're back to preppy names. Yule is probably best for a Christmastime baby, but that shouldn't stop you from using him in May (or any month).