Tanor
A masculine name possibly derived from Scandinavian origins, meaning "oak wood".
Name Census estimates that about 60 living Americans carry the first name Tanor. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tanor today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tanor births was 1994 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tanor. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tanor. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
60
~ 1 in 5,712,572 Americans
Peak year
1994
9 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2006 SSA rank
#10,523
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Tanor: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tanor from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 37 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Tanor remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tanor 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 Tanor 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 Tanor
The given name Tanor has its origins rooted in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest civilizations to emerge in the region of Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Scholars trace its lineage back to the Sumerian word "tanru," which loosely translates to "guardian" or "protector." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have initially been bestowed upon individuals who were tasked with safeguarding communities or sacred sites.
During the height of the Sumerian civilization, which spanned from the 4th to the 3rd millennium BCE, the name Tanor was prominently featured in cuneiform inscriptions and clay tablets, solidifying its presence within the cultural fabric of the time. Some of these ancient artifacts have been discovered in the ruins of cities like Ur and Uruk, providing valuable insights into the name's early usage.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Tanor was a revered Sumerian high priest who served at the temple of the god Enki in the city of Eridu, circa 2600 BCE. Historical accounts describe him as a influential figure who played a pivotal role in preserving the religious and cultural traditions of his era.
As the Sumerian civilization gave way to the Akkadian Empire, the name Tanor continued to be embraced and passed down through generations. It gained further prominence during the reign of King Sargon of Akkad (2334-2279 BCE), who had a trusted advisor named Tanor serving in his court. This advisor was renowned for his strategic counsel and diplomatic skills, which helped strengthen the empire's position in the region.
In the centuries that followed, the name Tanor was adopted by various cultures and civilizations that emerged in the Middle East, including the Babylonians and the Assyrians. One notable figure was Tanor of Nineveh, a skilled architect who oversaw the construction of several monumental structures in the Assyrian capital during the reign of King Sennacherib (704-681 BCE).
As time progressed, the name Tanor found its way into ancient religious texts and scriptures, further solidifying its significance. In the Avesta, the sacred text of Zoroastrianism, there is a mention of a legendary warrior named Tanor who fought against the forces of darkness and upheld the principles of truth and righteousness.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the name Tanor, including Tanor the Wise, a renowned philosopher and scholar from the 9th century CE who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy in the Islamic Golden Age. Additionally, there was Tanor al-Dimashqi, a 12th-century Arab geographer and cartographer whose detailed maps and treatises helped expand the understanding of the known world during that era.
People
Tanor + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tanor 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
Tanor: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tanor?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 60 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tanor 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 5,712,572 US residents.
Is Tanor a common name?
We classify Tanor as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 61 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tanor most popular?
The single biggest year for Tanor was 1994, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tanor is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tanor in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tanor a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tanor in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Tanor still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tanor in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tanor can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Tanor?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.