The ninth day of the Baby Name Advent brings us the name Yves! A lovely French name that means ‘yew’ or ‘yew-wood’. The yew-tree ties in to the Christmas tradition as yew boughs, with their bright green needles and vibrant red berries, are an oft-used festive decoration – first popular in Germany, then introduced in Britain in 1800 by Queen Charlotte, consort of George III, who installed the first decorated yew tree in Windsor Castle, bringing the tradition from her homeland, Germany.
meaning
Yew-wood
pronunciation
EEV
origin
French
popularitY
The name Yves is not used much in North America. In the US in 2020, it ranked at #6,549 – quite rare indeed! Here in Ontario, the name became increasingly popular from the 1960s – 1980s before declining again by the early 2000s.
nicknames
Evy, Evo
NOTABLE PEOPLE & CHARACTERS
Yves Saint Laurent (1936–2008) – French fashion designer
Pierre-Yves Pelletier – Canadian graphic designer
Yves Rodier (born 1967) – Canadian cartoonist
Yves Trudeau (artist) (1930–2017) – Canadian sculptor and artist
