Tekulve
A masculine Anglo-Saxon name meaning "from the ridge valley".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Tekulve. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tekulve today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tekulve births was 1979 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tekulve. 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 Tekulve. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1979
5 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1979 SSA rank
#6,972
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Tekulve: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tekulve 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 Tekulve during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tekulve
The name Tekulve is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) during the 4th millennium BCE. The name is thought to be derived from the Sumerian words "teʾku," meaning "to shine," and "luve," meaning "radiance" or "brilliance." As such, the name Tekulve is often interpreted as signifying "shining radiance" or "brilliant light."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tekulve can be found in a cuneiform tablet dating back to around 2500 BCE. The tablet, which was discovered in the ancient city of Uruk, appears to contain a list of names, including Tekulve. This suggests that the name was already in use during the early days of Sumerian civilization.
In the centuries that followed, the name Tekulve seems to have been relatively rare, with few notable historical figures bearing it. However, there are a handful of exceptions. One such figure was Tekulve, a high-ranking priestess who served in the temple of the goddess Inanna in the city of Uruk around 2200 BCE. Her name is mentioned in several clay tablets that describe religious rituals and ceremonies.
Another historical figure named Tekulve was a scribe who lived in the city of Nippur during the Akkadian Empire, around 2350 BCE. He is credited with transcribing several important literary works, including the epic tale of Gilgamesh, on clay tablets that have survived to this day.
In the 7th century BCE, a man named Tekulve is recorded as having been a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Babylon. He is mentioned in several economic records and contracts from that time period, suggesting that he was a wealthy and influential figure in the Babylonian business community.
Jumping forward several centuries, there was a Tekulve who was a renowned calligrapher and artist in the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century CE. He is said to have created beautiful illuminated manuscripts and intricate calligraphic works that adorned the walls of mosques and palaces throughout the Ottoman territories.
While the name Tekulve may not be as widely recognized as some other ancient names, its rich history and connections to various cultures and civilizations throughout the ages make it a fascinating and significant name in the annals of onomatology.
People
Tekulve + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tekulve 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
Tekulve: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tekulve?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tekulve 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Tekulve a common name?
We classify Tekulve as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tekulve most popular?
The single biggest year for Tekulve was 1979, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tekulve is about 44 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 Tekulve in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tekulve a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tekulve 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 Tekulve still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tekulve 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 Tekulve 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 common is the name Tekulve?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.