Tennessee
How to say it: ten-uh-SEE · /ˌtɛnəˈsi/
From Cherokee village Tanasi; U.S. state name evoking the American South.
Tennessee was the 3,671st most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 38 babies of either sex (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are down about 28% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #4,340 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #3,671 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 (both sexes) | 38 |
| Share of births | 1 in 87,245 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | −28% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #4,340 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,541 among girls’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Tennessee peaked in the 1880s, nearly vanished by the 1950s, and has come back.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Tennessee is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French.
In France: #2,541 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Tennessee
- Tennessee Williams (1911–1983)American playwright
- Tennessee Claflin (1844–1923)American suffragist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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