Yannis

Yannis - A very unique male name

Yannis appeared on the charts for the first time in 1994 on position #3648. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Yannis and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Yannis? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Yannis. The baby boy name Yannis was given to 5 baby boys in 2025, ranking #4341 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 293,257 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Yannis peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 2653.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Yannis, 1-5?

Yannis is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Yannis is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #2,030 - and is the least popular in New York at position #2,030.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Yannis is where you live.

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Yannis origin and meaning

Greek, via Hebrew

Greek form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'

Yannis is the everyday Greek form of John, used in US data since 1994 in small numbers. The similar Giannis spelling belongs to different bearers and does not transfer.

Attested etymology

Yannis is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Yannis, pop culture references for the name Yannis and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Yannis

We've found the following names that sound similar to Yannis, sorted by popularity.

Yunus / Yancy / Young / Younis / Yeng / Younes / Yannick / Yanis / Yonis / Yancey /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Yannis

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Yannis a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Yannis?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

YAH-nees · /ˈjɑːnɪs/

Around the world

• Giannis (Greek) — The other common Greek transliteration of the same name.
• Ioannis (Greek) — The formal Greek form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Giannis — The other transliteration, a separate profile.
• Ioannis — The formal Greek form.

Famous bearers

• Yannis Ritsos — One of Greece's most celebrated modern poets (1909–1990) Historical

Style

InternationalBiblical

Why parents choose it

Classic John in its Greek everyday form.

Worth knowing

• Often confused with Giannis — boosted by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who spells it differently and is not a bearer here.