Is Yentl a boy's or girl's name?

Yentl is primarily a girl's name.

When was Yentl most popular?

Yentl reached its peak popularity in 1985 with 13 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Yentl?

Yentl is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 51 babies in the U.S. since 1984. Its peak was in 1985.

Yentl

An uncommon German pick — distinctive and rare.

Girl's nameGermanNot ranked recently

Rare name

Meaning & Origin

Alternative spelling of yenta.

Yentl is a girl's baby name of Yiddish origin, a diminutive of the name Yente or related to the Yiddish gentil (from French, meaning 'noble' or 'genteel'). The name is most famous through Isaac Bashevis Singer's story "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy," later immortalized in Barbra Streisand's 1983 film Yentl.

Yentl carries the warmth and resilience of Ashkenazi Jewish naming tradition — a name that tells a story of cultural survival, intellectual courage, and the timeless human desire to pursue knowledge and freedom.

Compare Yentl with another name

Popularity Over Time

Yentl has 5+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1984.

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Yentl
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1980s	51	#7444	—

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(5 years, 1984–1988)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Yentl
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1988	8	#9233	+1 (14.3%)
1987	7	#9811	-4 (-36.4%)
1986	11	#6605	-2 (-15.4%)
1985	13	#5675	+1 (8.3%)
1984	12	#5894	—

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (1984–1988) · Methodology