Tannis
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "immortal" or "everlasting".
Name Census estimates that about 275 living Americans carry the first name Tannis. It is a predominantly female name (98.4% of registrations). The average person named Tannis today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tannis births was 1974 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tannis. 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
275
~ 1 in 1,246,379 Americans
Peak year
1974
14 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2006 SSA rank
#12,889
Tracked since 1941
Gender
Gender distribution for Tannis
Tannis leans heavily female at 98.4% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tannis as a male name
- Ranked #13,782 in 2006
- 5 male births in 2006
- Peak: 2006 (5 births)
Tannis as a female name
- Ranked #12,889 in 2005
- 8 female births in 2005
- Peak: 1974 (14 births)
Popularity
Tannis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tannis from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 83 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
Tannis 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 Tannis 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 Tannis
The given name Tannis has its origins in Ancient Egypt, where it was derived from the Egyptian word "tn", which means "land" or "territory". The name was likely used to refer to the fertile lands along the Nile River, which were crucial for agriculture and sustenance in ancient times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tannis can be found in the ancient city of Tanis, located in the Nile Delta region of Egypt. Tanis, also known as Djanet or Per-Amesu, was an important administrative and religious center during the Third Intermediate Period (1069-664 BC) and the Late Period (664-332 BC) of ancient Egyptian history.
In Greek mythology, Tannis was also associated with the figure of Proteus, a sea god who had the ability to change his shape and foretell the future. According to legend, Proteus lived near the city of Tanis, further solidifying the name's connection to the ancient Egyptian city.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Tannis. One of the earliest recorded was Tannis, an ancient Egyptian princess who lived during the 26th Dynasty (664-525 BC). She was the daughter of Pharaoh Psamtik I and held a prominent position in the royal court.
Another notable Tannis was Tannis Le Sanglier, a Norman knight who participated in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. He was rewarded with lands in Somerset, England, for his service to William the Conqueror.
In the 14th century, Tannis Lautrec was a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was awarded the title of Marshal of France for his bravery and military prowess.
During the Renaissance period, Tannis Vitelli was an Italian condottiero (mercenary leader) who fought in the Italian Wars of the 15th and 16th centuries. He was known for his strategic mind and served under various Italian rulers and city-states.
In more recent times, Tannis Makris was a Greek-American businessman and philanthropist (1919-2020) who made significant contributions to educational institutions and cultural organizations in both Greece and the United States.
People
Tannis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tannis 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
Tannis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tannis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 275 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tannis 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 1,246,379 US residents.
Is Tannis a common name?
We classify Tannis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 322 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tannis most popular?
The single biggest year for Tannis was 1974, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tannis is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tannis a female name?
Yes, 98.4% of people registered as Tannis 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.