This list includes 57 Old man names that start with Y, from “Yaakov” to “Yves”. They are mostly traditional, biblical, or regional names useful for writers, genealogists, and parents.
Old man names that start with Y are male names beginning with Y, often tied to older traditions. For example, “Yaakov” is the Hebrew form of Jacob, a longstanding biblical choice.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Origin, and Meaning.
Name: Shows the male name exactly as listed so you can scan for spellings, pick a name, or find variants.
Origin: Indicates the language or country where the name comes from, helping you place the name culturally or historically.
Meaning: Gives a short, clear meaning or etymology so you understand the name’s sense and possible symbolic use.
Old man names that start with Y
| Name | Origin | Meaning | Popularity/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yosef | Hebrew | He will add | Biblical; long-used in Jewish communities; variants Joseph, Josef |
| Yitzhak | Hebrew | He will laugh | Biblical; classic Israeli/Jewish name; variant Isaac |
| Yaakov | Hebrew | Supplanter | Biblical; classic; variants Jacob, Yakov |
| Yehuda | Hebrew | Praised | Biblical; traditional Jewish name; variant Judah |
| Yonatan | Hebrew | God has given | Biblical; classical form of Jonathan |
| Yair | Hebrew | He will enlighten | Biblical; traditional Israeli name |
| Yehoshua | Hebrew | Yahweh is salvation | Biblical; formal Joshua |
| Yeshua | Hebrew | Salvation | Ancient/biblical; variant of Joshua/Jesus |
| Yehezkel | Hebrew | God will strengthen | Biblical; Ezekiel equivalent |
| Yigal | Hebrew | He will redeem | Traditional Israeli name |
| Yakov | Russian/Hebrew | Supplanter | Classic Russian and Jewish form of Jacob |
| Yakub | Arabic/Turkic/Slavic | Jacob, supplanter | Widespread in Muslim and Turkic regions; variant Yaqub |
| Yaqub | Arabic | Jacob, supplanter | Classical Arabic form; biblical link |
| Yusuf | Arabic/Turkish | God will increase | Widely used in Muslim world; variants Youssef, Yusef |
| Yahya | Arabic | Alive; John equivalent | Quranic; traditional Arabic name |
| Yehia | Arabic/Egyptian | Alternative of Yahya | Common Egyptian variant |
| Yunus | Arabic/Turkish | Dove; Jonah equivalent | Quranic/Biblical; traditional name |
| Yasin | Arabic | Name from Quranic sura | Religious; common Muslim name |
| Yacine | North African Arabic | Variant of Yasin | Popular in Maghreb; traditional |
| Yavuz | Turkish | Stern, resolute | Historical Ottoman epithet; classic Turkish name |
| Yilmaz | Turkish | Unyielding, brave | Common traditional Turkish surname-name |
| Yusuf/Youssef | Arabic/Arabic-fr | God will increase | See Yusuf; spelling variant common in Francophone regions |
| Yasar | Turkish/Persian | To live; conquer | Traditional Turkish name; variant Yaşar |
| Yaprak? (excluded) | — | — | — |
| Yohannes | Amharic/Ethiopian | God is gracious | Traditional Ethiopian form of John |
| Yared | Ethiopian | Name of a saintly singer | Historic Ethiopian name |
| Yonas | Amharic/Greek | Dove; Jonah | Traditional Ethiopian/Greek form of Jonah |
| Yilma | Ethiopian | Possibly “seed” or family name | Traditional Ethiopian male name |
| Yngve | Scandinavian | Associated with god Yngvi | Old Norse; traditional Swedish/Norwegian name |
| Yngvar | Norse | Yngvi’s warrior | Old Norse warrior name |
| Yrjö | Finnish | George equivalent | Classic Finnish male name |
| Yuri | Slavic/Russian | Farmer; from George | Very common Russian name; multi-generational |
| Yury | Slavic/Russian | Variant of Yuri | Alternate transliteration; traditional |
| Yevgeny | Russian | Noble, well-born | Classic Russian form of Eugene |
| Yegor | Russian | Variant of George | Traditional Russian name |
| Yefim | Russian | From Euthymius, well-spirited | Historic Russian name |
| Yaroslav | Slavic | Fierce glory | Old Slavic princely name |
| Yves | French/Breton | Yew tree | Classic French male name |
| Yann | Breton/French | God is gracious | Breton form of John; traditional |
| Yannis | Greek | God is gracious | Greek form of John; traditional |
| Yago | Spanish/Galician | James variant | Traditional Galician/Spanish form of James |
| Yukio | Japanese | Happiness man, born of happiness | Classic Japanese male name |
| Yasuo | Japanese | Peaceful man | Traditional Japanese male name |
| Yoshio | Japanese | Good, righteous man | Timeless Japanese male name |
| Yoshiro | Japanese | Good son; fourth son | Classic masculine name |
| Yutaka | Japanese | Abundant, rich | Traditional Japanese male name |
| Yong | Chinese | Brave/eternal (varies) | Common Chinese given name; classic |
| Yuan | Chinese | Round, origin, source | Historic Chinese given name |
| Yongsheng? (excluded) | — | — | — |
| Yongli? (excluded) | — | — | — |
| Yakubu | Hausa/Nigerian | Jacob variant | Common in West Africa; traditional |
| Yar | Persian/Pashto | Friend, companion | Traditional Afghan/Persian male name |
| Ynyr | Welsh | Possibly “lord” or “honor” | Old Welsh name; historical |
| Yashwant | Sanskrit/Hindi | Famed, glorious | Traditional Indian male name |
| Yogesh | Sanskrit/Hindi | Lord of yoga | Traditional Indian male name |
| Yogendra | Sanskrit/Hindi | Lord of yoga; leader | Classical Sanskrit name |
| Yashpal | Sanskrit/Hindi | Protector of fame | Traditional Indian name |
Descriptions
Yosef
Ancient biblical name (Joseph); very traditional among Jews, commonly found in older family generations.
Yitzhak
Name of the patriarch Isaac; a time-honored Jewish name often associated with older men and traditional families.
Yaakov
Hebrew form of Jacob; widely used historically among Jews, a traditional choice for older generations.
Yehuda
Name of the tribe and patriarch Judah; steady, classical Jewish male name linked to older generations.
Yonatan
Biblical Jonathan; used historically and still seen in older family lines as a traditional Hebrew name.
Yair
Biblical origin; a concise, classical Hebrew name often tied to earlier generations.
Yehoshua
Ancient Hebrew form of Joshua; highly traditional and historically common in Jewish texts and families.
Yeshua
Aramaic/Hebrew form of Joshua; an ancient name with strong historical and religious resonance.
Yehezkel
Hebrew form of Ezekiel; a traditional prophetic name found in historical Jewish records.
Yigal
Biblical/modern use through 20th century; seen often among older Israeli men.
Yakov
Common Russian/Yiddish form of Jacob; traditional in Eastern Europe and Jewish diaspora older generations.
Yakub
Traditional form of Jacob used across Islamic and Turkic cultures; historical and enduring.
Yaqub
Arabic transliteration of Jacob; historically used in Muslim-majority cultures.
Yusuf
Islamic form of Joseph; a long-standing, classic male name throughout Muslim societies.
Yahya
Arabic form of John; an old, respected name commonly borne by older men in Arab regions.
Yehia
Egyptian spelling of Yahya; historically frequent among older Egyptian men.
Yunus
Islamic form of Jonah; long-established in Muslim communities and family records.
Yasin
Quranic name used widely in Muslim families; historically attested and traditional.
Yacine
North African form of Yasin; established older-generation usage in the Maghreb.
Yavuz
Name borne by Ottoman rulers; a traditional Turkish male name with historical gravitas.
Yilmaz
Classic Turkish male name meaning ‘unyielding’, widely used especially among older Turkish men.
Yusuf/Youssef
Alternative spelling highlighted; widespread historical use across Muslim communities.
Yasar
Classic Turkish given name, commonly found in older generations.
Yaprak? (excluded)
—
Yohannes
Long-used in Ethiopia; a canonical Christian name often associated with older male generations.
Yared
Name of the 6th-century musician Saint Yared; an old Ethiopian male name with deep cultural roots.
Yonas
Ethiopian and Greek form of Jonah; historically used and tied to tradition.
Yilma
Common Ethiopian male given name in older generations; rooted in Amharic usage.
Yngve
Ancient Norse name tied to mythology; classic among older Scandinavian men.
Yngvar
Historic Norse name, preserved in Scandinavian naming traditions and older generations.
Yrjö
Finnish form of George; a traditional choice often seen among older Finnish men.
Yuri
Popular across Slavic lands for generations; a familiar, classic male name.
Yury
Alternative spelling of Yuri; established in Russian records among older cohorts.
Yevgeny
Traditional Russian male name with long-standing usage, especially in older generations.
Yegor
Old Russian form connected to George; historically common among rural and urban men.
Yefim
Older Russian male name seen in historical records and older generations.
Yaroslav
Historic name borne by medieval princes; a classic and venerable Slavic male name.
Yves
Traditional Breton/French name long associated with older men in Francophone regions.
Yann
Short Breton form of John; common and classical in Brittany and France older generations.
Yannis
Common Greek male name (Yiannis/Yannis); a longstanding, familiar name across generations.
Yago
Old Galician/Spanish form of Jacob/James; historically used as a male given name.
Yukio
Traditional Japanese masculine name popular among mid-20th-century and older generations.
Yasuo
A classic Japanese masculine name, frequently seen among older men born mid-century.
Yoshio
Common traditional Japanese given name; widely used by older Japanese men.
Yoshiro
Traditional Japanese male name with historic usage, often found among older generations.
Yutaka
Traditional masculine Japanese name; popular in earlier generations.
Yong
Widely used Chinese male name element (“Yong”), common among older generations.
Yuan
Chinese male given name with long historical use; seen in older cohorts.
Yongsheng? (excluded)
—
Yongli? (excluded)
—
Yakubu
Hausa and West African form of Jacob; classic and often borne by older men.
Yar
Short, traditional name in Persian and Pashto-speaking areas; common in older generations.
Ynyr
Ancient Welsh personal name attested in medieval sources; a classical Celtic name.
Yashwant
Classic Sanskrit-derived name common in India, especially among older generations.
Yogesh
Ancient Sanskrit name used widely across India; traditional and frequent among older men.
Yogendra
Traditional male name in South Asia; historically popular across generations.
Yashpal
Established North Indian male name with longstanding usage among older cohorts.