yu

Yu is a romanization used for several East Asian names and terms. In Chinese, Yu can be a surname written with characters such as 于, 余, 俞, or 虞, and it is also used as a given name or as part of given names. The same syllable appears in other East Asian languages with different spellings or tones, contributing to its widespread use in personal names across the region.

Historically, Yu the Great (大禹) is a central figure in Chinese mythology, credited with controlling the floods and establishing the Xia dynasty. The legend of Yu the Great has influenced literature, place names, and cultural references, reinforcing the association of the syllable with leadership and problem-solving in traditional texts.

In modern practice, Yu functions as both a surname and a given name across Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities. In Japanese, Yu is a common given-name element rendered with various kanji, such as 由, 祐, 悠, or 雨, among others, depending on the preferred meaning. In Korea and Vietnam, the syllable also appears in personal names, often romanized as Yu or Ryu in different transliterations.

Outside of people, Yu appears in other contexts. The Indian smartphone brand Micromax YU marketed devices beginning in 2014. The Internet country code .yu was the top-level domain for Yugoslavia until it was retired after 2003.