Total births
4,228
Girls' name · since 1947
Tawny
Tawny has 4,228 recorded births since 1947 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1989 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15565
- among girls today
- 4,228
- born since 1947
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
4,228 babies have been named Tawny since 1947, making it today's #15565 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Tawny recorded 4,228 times among girls since 1947, holding rank #15565 nationally today, ahead of 12% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1947 to 2024.
- #15565 among girls today
- 4,228 born since 1947
- 1980s peak decade
- 12% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Tawny is currently the #15565 girls' name in America, more common than 12% of girls - 4,228 born since 1947, peaking in the 1980s.
- #15565
- among girls today
- 4,228
- born since 1947
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
Tawny vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15565
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 12% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Tawny was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
217 babies were named Tawny in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Tawny compares
4,228 Top 14% higher than 86% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Tawny's all-time total is 11x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tawny | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,228 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 217 | 48 | 19,840 |
Tawny's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Tawny's full recorded timeline at 1983, 60% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 40% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2013, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1989 peak of 217 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Tawny at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#15,565
Active since
1947
Tawny popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1947–2024
- Peak year (1989)
- 217
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Tawny by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Tawny's strongest decade.
1,542 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Tawny births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 27
1940s
27 births
- 1950s 185
1950s
185 births
- 1960s 511
1960s
511 births
- 1970s 575
1970s
575 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,542 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,052 births
- 2000s 256
2000s
256 births
- 2010s 64
2010s
64 births
- 2020s 16
2020s
16 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,542 births (36% of all-time use).
How Tawny compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Tawny's total volume
Tawny vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Tawny by state
Where Tawny concentrates geographically, total births since 1947
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,257 | 29.7% |
| #2 | Washington | | 116 | 2.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 115 | 2.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 74 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 54 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 54 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Utah | | 53 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Oregon | | 49 | 1.2% |
California share of Tawny's total US births 29.7%
Even split
1,257 of 4,228 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Tawny appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tawny? ▼
Since 1947, Social Security records show 4,228 babies named Tawny. Today it holds rank #15565 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1989, with 217 births.
When was Tawny most popular? ▼
Tawny was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,542 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Tawny most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tawny are California (1,257 births), Washington (116 births), Texas (115 births).
How long has the name Tawny been used? ▼
Records for Tawny go back to 1947, giving 78 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Tawny? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tawana, Tawnya, Tawanda, Tawanna, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Tawny's data
- Tawny's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,542 total births); usage has since declined to 16 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Tawnys (1,257 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tawny
Nearby Names Like Tawny
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tawny
Tawana Girl
6,545 births
Tawnya Girl
4,943 births
Tawanda Girl
4,058 births
Tawanna Girl
3,874 births
Tawni Girl
1,876 births
Compare Tawny side by side: Tawny vs Tawana Tawny vs Tawnya Tawny vs Tawanda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tawny
Marianela #15564
647 births · Peak 1967
Milene #15566
72 births · Peak 2006
Laurin #15563
1,597 births · Peak 1990
Cherise #15567
4,484 births · Peak 1971
Jaimee #15562
4,565 births · Peak 1990
Crissy #15568
2,592 births · Peak 1978
Davena #15561
412 births · Peak 1980
Nicholette #15569
1,297 births · Peak 1993
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1947–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tawny: #15565 Girls' Name - 4,228 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tawny. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Tawny draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.