Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2017

Tennyson

Gender Unisex · 25% girls Rank 2025 #4,521 Trend ↓ Falling 38%
Rank 2025
#4,521
among boys · ↓634 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
31
named Tennyson · -16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 74,264
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2017
80 babies
All-time total
1,586
#4,612 all-time among boys
First recorded
1913
in Social Security records

Tennyson popularity over time

1,586 babies have been named Tennyson since 1913, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 60 60 6 – #2,293
1920s – 64 64 6 +7% #2,619
1930s – 35 35 4 -45% #2,631
1940s – 40 40 4 +14% #2,782
1950s – 36 36 4 -10% #2,647
1960s – 19 19 2 -47% #3,597
1970s – 50 50 5 +163% #3,379
1980s – 18 18 2 -64% #6,171
1990s – 95 95 10 +428% #4,000
2000s 77 207 284 28 +199% #3,338
2010s 245 401 646 65 +127% #2,578
2020s (to 2025) 76 163 239 40 -38% #3,262

Where Tennyson is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 21 0.01 outside top 500
2027 20 0.01 outside top 500
2028 19 0.01 outside top 500
2029 18 0.01 outside top 500
2030 18 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Tennyson

Tennyson is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,521 in 2025 with 23 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1913, 1,586 American babies have been named Tennyson, about 75% boys and 25% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2017, when 80 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 Tennyson stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Tennyson?

The median living Tennyson is about 12 years old; half are between 7 and 19. An estimated 1,400 people named Tennyson are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Tennyson 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 8 #11,833 23 #4,521
2024 8 #12,058 29 #3,887
2023 13 #8,450 21 #4,871
2022 17 #6,960 31 #3,683
2021 12 #8,930 24 #4,348
2020 18 #6,611 35 #3,262
2019 22 #5,779 43 #2,893
2018 27 #4,996 44 #2,788
2017 43 #3,622 37 #3,190
2016 37 #4,074 34 #3,353
2015 22 #6,015 46 #2,676
2014 25 #5,440 48 #2,578
2013 21 #6,235 44 #2,708
2012 15 #8,183 32 #3,440
2011 15 #8,162 34 #3,296
2010 18 #7,190 39 #3,006
2009 12 #9,932 29 #3,710
2008 19 #7,048 34 #3,338
2007 14 #8,972 29 #3,680
2006 11 #10,557 26 #3,876
2005 6 #16,275 18 #4,801
2004 7 #14,061 19 #4,584
2003 8 #12,320 12 #6,211
2002 – – 13 #5,689
2001 – – 9 #7,450
2000 – – 18 #4,367
1995 – – – –
1990 – – 5 #9,359
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – 8 #4,274
1970 – – 7 #4,192
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – 6 #3,842
1950 – – – –
1945 – – 6 #3,295
1940 – – – –
1935 – – 5 #4,093
1930 – – 10 #2,767
1925 – – 6 #4,148
1920 – – 8 #3,467
1915 – – 12 #2,293
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Tennyson, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Tennyson?

The median living Tennyson is about 12 years old. Half of all living Tennysons are between 7 and 19 years old.

How many people named Tennyson are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Tennyson are alive in the United States, based on 1,586 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Tennyson in 2025?

Tennyson ranked #4,521 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 23 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Tennyson?

1,586 babies have been named Tennyson in the United States since 1913, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Tennyson most popular?

Tennyson peaked in 2017, when 80 newborns received the name.

Is Tennyson a boy or girl name?

Tennyson is used for both: about 25% of babies named Tennyson have been girls and 75% boys.

Is the name Tennyson rising or falling?

Tennyson is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Tennyson become more popular?

Tennyson is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 18 boys named Tennyson in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Tennyson

Names that sound and feel close to Tennyson: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Tennyson with similar names → More names starting with T →