Unisex name · since 1880
Tennessee
Tennessee has 986 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,601 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #4,880 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 986
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Tennessee currently ranks #4880 among unisex names in America, with 986 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Tennessee recorded 986 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #4880 nationally today, ahead of 72% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #7,601 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #4,880 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 986 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tennessee ranks #7,601 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,880 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 986 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #7,601 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #4,880 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 986
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Tennessee's 986 recorded births place it above 89.49% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Tennessee compares
986 Top 32% higher than 68% of 17,297 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
Tennessee's all-time total is 162% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tennessee | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 986 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 39 | 21 | 19,840 |
Tennessee's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Tennessee's SSA record in two at 1927 and the more recent half accounts for 58% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 42%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2021 peak of 39, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Tennessee popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 39
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Tennessee popularity over time - boys
381 total births recorded since 1995 (Tennessee as boys' name)
Tennessee by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (228 births, 23% of the file).
2010s was Tennessee's strongest decade.
228 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Tennessee births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 60
1880s
60 births
- 1890s 79
1890s
79 births
- 1900s 90
1900s
90 births
- 1910s
1910s
119 births
- 1920s 79
1920s
79 births
- 1930s 35
1930s
35 births
- 1940s 23
1940s
23 births
- 1990s 38
1990s
38 births
- 2000s 81
2000s
81 births
- 2010s
2010s
228 births
- 2020s
2020s
154 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 228 births (23% of all-time use).
How Tennessee 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 Tennessee's total volume
Tennessee by state
Where Tennessee concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 17 | 1.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 15 | 1.5% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 11 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 5 | 0.5% |
17 of 986 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Tennessee's data
- Tennessee's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (228 total births) through the 2020s (154) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Tennessees (17 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tennessee
Nearby Names Like Tennessee
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tennessee
Compare Tennessee side by side: Tennessee vs Tena Tennessee vs Tenley Tennessee vs Tenisha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tennessee
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tennessee: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2021)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Tennessee 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 August 2026.