Tennessee
From Cherokee ᏔᎾᏏ (tanasi), believed to mean “winding river”.
Every Tennessee since 1880 — 1,367 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Tennessee
Tennessee is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,974 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 1,367 American babies have been named Tennessee — about 72% girls and 28% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2017, when 60 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Tennessee stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Tennessee year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | #4,974 | 11 | #7,630 |
| 2024 | 20 | #6,140 | 11 | #7,704 |
| 2023 | 21 | #5,935 | 16 | #5,892 |
| 2022 | 26 | #5,161 | 18 | #5,414 |
| 2021 | 39 | #3,874 | 20 | #4,915 |
| 2020 | 21 | #5,833 | 17 | #5,428 |
| 2019 | 34 | #4,257 | 18 | #5,320 |
| 2018 | 30 | #4,652 | 26 | #4,087 |
| 2017 | 32 | #4,472 | 28 | #3,877 |
| 2016 | 24 | #5,598 | 24 | #4,310 |
| 2015 | 27 | #5,113 | 28 | #3,868 |
| 2014 | 24 | #5,615 | 19 | #5,043 |
| 2013 | 19 | #6,703 | 17 | #5,373 |
| 2012 | 16 | #7,769 | 11 | #7,498 |
| 2011 | 12 | #9,674 | 10 | #8,000 |
| 2010 | 10 | #11,181 | 12 | #7,037 |
| 2009 | 7 | #15,100 | 6 | #12,320 |
| 2008 | 6 | #17,316 | 6 | #12,386 |
| 2007 | 11 | #10,764 | 18 | #5,186 |
| 2006 | 10 | #11,352 | 13 | #6,420 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10,851 | 9 | #8,229 |
| 2004 | 10 | #10,622 | 11 | #6,927 |
| 2003 | 8 | #12,319 | — | — |
| 2002 | 8 | #12,102 | 5 | #12,306 |
| 2001 | 6 | #15,185 | 9 | #7,449 |
| 2000 | 5 | #17,406 | 5 | #11,956 |
| 1995 | 6 | #13,252 | 6 | #8,773 |
| 1990 | — | — | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | 7 | #3,830 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | 7 | #4,005 | — | — |
| 1925 | 9 | #3,627 | — | — |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,345 | — | — |
| 1915 | 15 | #2,129 | — | — |
| 1910 | 9 | #1,757 | — | — |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,678 | — | — |
| 1900 | 8 | #1,550 | — | — |
| 1895 | 10 | #1,113 | — | — |
| 1890 | 9 | #999 | — | — |
| 1885 | 10 | #739 | — | — |
| 1880 | 5 | #932 | — | — |
Famous people named Tennessee
- Tennessee Williams Writer · 1911–1983
- Tennessee Ernie Ford Singer · 1919–1991
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Tennessee mean?
From Cherokee ᏔᎾᏏ (tanasi), believed to mean “winding river”.
How popular is the name Tennessee in 2025?
Tennessee ranked #4,974 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Tennessee?
1,367 babies have been named Tennessee in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Tennessee most popular?
Tennessee peaked in 2017, when 60 newborns received the name.
Is Tennessee a boy or girl name?
Tennessee is used for both: about 72% of babies named Tennessee have been girls and 28% boys.
Is the name Tennessee rising or falling?
Tennessee has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Tennessee?
Well-known people named Tennessee include Tennessee Williams (writer), Tennessee Ernie Ford (singer).