Here are 15 literary boy names that start with Y, running from “Yorick” to “Yancy”. They come from plays, novels, epics, and medieval romances, and many are rare, striking, and full of character. You can use them to name a baby, a fictional hero, a pet, or a game character.
Literary boy names are male names taken from characters in books, plays, poems, and legends. Some, like “Yorick” from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, are famous for one unforgettable scene, while others, like “Yudhishthira” from the Mahabharata, belong to stories that are thousands of years old.
Below you’ll find the table with the name, origin, pronunciation, meaning, and description of each one.
Name: The name itself, listed in alphabetical order, so you can scan quickly and spot the ones that catch your eye.
Origin: The language, culture, or author the name comes from, which helps you see where it fits and how far it has traveled.
Pronunciation: A simple phonetic guide with the stressed syllable in capitals, so you can say each name with confidence, even the harder ones.
Meaning: What the name means or where it comes from, including cases where an author invented it and no fixed meaning exists.
Description: A short note on the character who carries the name, including the book, play, or story, so you know the tale behind it.
Literary boy names
| Name | Origin | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorick | Danish/English (Shakespeare) | YOR-ik | Possibly a form of George, “farmer” |
| Yossarian | Assyrian-Armenian (Joseph Heller) | yoh-SAIR-ee-an | Invented surname, no fixed meaning |
| Yuri | Russian | YOOR-ee | Form of George, “farmer” |
| Yevgeny | Russian | yev-GEN-ee | “Noble” or “well-born” |
| Yvain | Old French (Arthurian) | ee-VAN | Possibly “young warrior” or “yew” |
| Ywain | Middle English (Arthurian) | ih-WAIN | Variant of Yvain |
| Yasha | Russian | YAH-shah | Pet form of Yakov, “supplanter” |
| Yashvin | Russian (Tolstoy) | YASH-vin | Invented surname |
| Ysengrim | Old French/Flemish | IZ-en-grim | “Iron mask” or “iron helmet” |
| Yudhishthira | Sanskrit | yoo-DISH-tih-ruh | “Steadfast in battle” |
| Yakov | Russian/Hebrew | YAH-kuhv | “Supplanter” |
| Yoda | Invented (Star Wars) | YOH-duh | Possibly from Sanskrit “yoddha”, “warrior” |
| Yeshua | Hebrew | YESH-oo-ah | “Yahweh is salvation” |
| Yann | Breton/French | YAN | Form of John, “God is gracious” |
| Yancy | Native American/English | YAN-see | “Englishman” |