Tacey
A feminine given name of Latin origin meaning "silent" or "peacefully calm".
Name Census estimates that about 272 living Americans carry the first name Tacey. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tacey today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tacey births was 1970 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tacey. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
272
~ 1 in 1,260,126 Americans
Peak year
1970
17 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,354
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Tacey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tacey from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 77 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tacey by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tacey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tacey
The name Tacey is thought to have its origins in the Old French language, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be a feminine form of the French name Tasse, which was derived from the Germanic name Tasso or Tacia. These names are thought to have their roots in the Old High German word "tazza" or "tasse," meaning "cup" or "bowl."
In its earliest forms, the name Tacey was likely spelled as "Tacia" or "Tacya" and was primarily used in regions of France and parts of northern Italy. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in a historical document from the year 1274, which mentions a woman named "Tacia de Montfort" who was a noblewoman from the region of Normandy, France.
One of the earliest notable historical figures with the name Tacey was Tacya de Clermont, a French noblewoman who lived in the late 13th century. She was known for her involvement in the political affairs of her time and was a prominent figure in the court of King Philip IV of France.
In the 15th century, there was a renowned Italian painter named Tacya Baldassini, who was active in the city of Florence during the Renaissance period. Her works, which included religious paintings and frescoes, can still be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.
During the 16th century, a woman named Tacey Willet gained notoriety in England for her involvement in the Protestant Reformation. She was a close associate of the reformer John Foxe and played a role in the publication of his famous work, "Actes and Monuments," also known as the "Book of Martyrs."
In the 17th century, Tacey Cromwell, a distant relative of Oliver Cromwell, was a prominent figure in the English Civil War. She served as a messenger and spy for the Parliamentarian forces and was known for her bravery and dedication to the cause.
Another notable figure with the name Tacey was Tacey Lyttleton, an English writer and poet who lived in the 18th century. She was celebrated for her witty and satirical works, which often commented on the social and political issues of her time.
While the name Tacey has fallen somewhat out of common usage in recent centuries, its rich history and origins in Old French and Germanic languages make it a unique and intriguing name with a fascinating background.
People
Tacey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tacey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tacey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tacey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 272 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tacey going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,260,126 US residents.
Is Tacey a common name?
We classify Tacey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 305 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tacey most popular?
The single biggest year for Tacey was 1970, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tacey is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tacey a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tacey in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.