Total births
6,989
Girls' name · since 1940
Tonja
Tonja has 6,989 recorded births since 1940 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1967 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 6,989
- total births
- 1940–2005
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 48%
- born in that decade
Tonja is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 6,989 have been recorded since 1940.
Tonja has 6,989 recorded births among girls since 1940, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1940 to 2005.
- 6,989 total births
- 1940–2005 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 48% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
6,989 girls have been named Tonja since 1940, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2005.
- 6,989
- total births
- 1940–2005
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 48%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
48% of everyone ever named Tonja was born in this single decade.
1967
Single peak year
512 babies were named Tonja in 1967 - its busiest year on record.
Tonja's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tonja splits its recorded history at 1972: 31% of all births land in the more recent half, 69% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1940 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1967 peak of 512 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tonja at a glance
Last recorded 2005Peak year
1967
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1940
Tonja popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1940–2005
- Peak year (1967)
- 512
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Tonja popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1969 (Tonja as boys' name)
Tonja by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Tonja's strongest decade.
3,352 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.
Tonja births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 104
1940s
104 births
- 1950s 533
1950s
533 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,352 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,414 births
- 1980s 435
1980s
435 births
- 1990s 124
1990s
124 births
- 2000s 27
2000s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 3,352 births (48% of all-time use).
How Tonja 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 Tonja's total volume
Tonja vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Tonja by state
Where Tonja concentrates geographically, total births since 1940
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 671 | 9.6% |
| #2 | California | | 401 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 325 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 284 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 265 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 252 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 238 | 3.4% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 221 | 3.2% |
Texas share of Tonja's total US births 9.6%
Even split
671 of 6,989 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Tonja appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tonja? ▼
Since 1940, Social Security records show 6,989 babies named Tonja. The most recent recorded year was 2005. Its busiest year on record was 1967, with 512 births.
When was Tonja most popular? ▼
Tonja was most popular in the 1960s decade with 3,352 total births. The single peak year was 1967.
Where is Tonja most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tonja are Texas (671 births), California (401 births), Ohio (325 births).
How long has the name Tonja been used? ▼
Records for Tonja go back to 1940, giving 66 years of history through 2005.
What names are similar to Tonja? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tonya, Toni, Tonia, Tonie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Tonja's data
- Tonja's decade-level peak was the 1960s (3,352 total births); usage has since declined to 27 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Tonjas (671 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Tonja
Nearby Names Like Tonja
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tonja
Tonya Girl
#6432 120,421 births
Toni Girl
#2151 100,198 births
Tonia Girl
#15453 22,194 births
Tonie Girl
2,908 births
Tony Girl
2,888 births
Compare Tonja side by side: Tonja vs Tonya Tonja vs Toni Tonja vs Tonia
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1940–2005 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tonja: Baby Name Since 1940 - 6,989 Births, Peak 1967." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tonja. 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 Tonja 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.