Total births
1,527
Unisex name · since 1967
Telly
Telly has 1,527 recorded births since 1967 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1974 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12633
- among boys today
- 1,527
- born since 1967
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
1,527 babies have been named Telly since 1967, making it today's #12633 unisex name.
Telly has 1,527 recorded births among boys since 1967, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12633 as of the latest data, more common than 12% of boys, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1967 to 2024.
- #12633 among boys today
- 1,527 born since 1967
- 1970s peak decade
- 12% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Telly is currently the #12633 unisex name in America, more common than 12% of boys - 1,527 born since 1967, peaking in the 1970s.
- #12633
- among boys today
- 1,527
- born since 1967
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Telly vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12633
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 12% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
68% of everyone ever named Telly was born in this single decade.
1974
Single peak year
294 babies were named Telly in 1974 - its busiest year on record.
How Telly compares
1,527 Top 24% higher than 76% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Telly's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Telly | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,527 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 294 | 23 | 22,252 |
Telly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Telly's full recorded timeline at 1996, 19% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 81% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1967, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1974 peak of 294 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Telly at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1974
Current rank
#12,633
Active since
1967
Telly popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1967–2024
- Peak year (1974)
- 294
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Telly popularity over time - girls
82 total births recorded since 1969 (Telly as girls' name)
Telly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Telly's strongest decade.
1,044 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 68% of all-time use.
Telly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 13
1960s
13 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,044 births
- 1980s 110
1980s
110 births
- 1990s 145
1990s
145 births
- 2000s 127
2000s
127 births
- 2010s 67
2010s
67 births
- 2020s 21
2020s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,044 births (68% of all-time use).
How Telly compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Telly's total volume
Telly vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Telly by state
Where Telly concentrates geographically, total births since 1967
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 108 | 7.1% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 81 | 5.3% |
| #3 | South Carolina | | 70 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 69 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 67 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Florida | | 55 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 43 | 2.8% |
| #8 | New York | | 37 | 2.4% |
Georgia share of Telly's total US births 7.1%
Even split
108 of 1,527 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Telly appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Telly? ▼
1,527 babies have been named Telly since 1967. It currently ranks #12633 among boys. The peak year was 1974 with 294 births.
When was Telly most popular? ▼
Telly was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,044 total births. The single peak year was 1974.
Where is Telly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Telly are Georgia (108 births), North Carolina (81 births), South Carolina (70 births).
Is Telly a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Telly is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,527 births, and as a girl's name it has 82 births.
How long has the name Telly been used? ▼
Records for Telly go back to 1967, giving 58 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Telly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Telvin, Telford, Tellis, Teller, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Telly's data
- Telly's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,044 total births); usage has since declined to 21 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Tellys (108 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Telly
Nearby Names Like Telly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Telly
Telvin Boy
#11250 588 births
Telford Boy
348 births
Tellis Boy
295 births
Teller Boy
#3520 270 births
Telesforo Boy
251 births
Compare Telly side by side: Telly vs Telvin Telly vs Telford Telly vs Tellis
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Telly
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1967–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Telly: #12633 Unisex Name - 1,527 Births, Peak 1974." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/telly. 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 Telly 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 June 2026.