Tellis
A masculine name derived from the French surname Tellier meaning "linen-weaver".
Name Census estimates that about 230 living Americans carry the first name Tellis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tellis today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tellis births was 1975 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tellis. 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
230
~ 1 in 1,490,236 Americans
Peak year
1975
25 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,867
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Tellis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tellis from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 119 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
Tellis 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 Tellis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tellis' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tellis
The name Tellis is believed to have originated from the Greek language, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "tellos," which means "boundary" or "end." This name may have been given to individuals born near a boundary or border region, or perhaps to signify the end of a journey or significant life event.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tellis can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who lived from 427 BC to 347 BC. In his work "The Republic," he mentions a character named Tellis, though little is known about the individual's historical significance.
In the Middle Ages, the name Tellis appeared in various religious texts and historical records, though its usage was relatively rare. One notable bearer of the name was Tellis of Siena, an Italian monk and scholar who lived in the 12th century. He is known for his contributions to the study of theology and his extensive writings on the monastic lifestyle.
During the Renaissance period, the name Tellis gained some popularity among the aristocracy and nobility. Tellis Borghese, an Italian nobleman born in 1548, was a prominent figure in the court of Pope Paul V. He was known for his patronage of the arts and his extensive collection of sculptures and paintings.
In the 19th century, Tellis Agee, born in 1835, was an American businessman and entrepreneur. He played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in the United States and was instrumental in establishing several successful manufacturing companies.
Another notable individual with the name Tellis was Tellis Frank, a British artist and painter born in 1867. He was known for his landscape paintings and his depictions of rural life in England. His works were widely exhibited and celebrated during his lifetime.
It is important to note that while the name Tellis has been present throughout history, it has never been among the most common or widely used names. Its origins and meaning, however, have remained consistent, reflecting the significance of boundaries, endings, and transitions in life.
People
Tellis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tellis 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
Tellis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tellis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 230 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tellis 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 1,490,236 US residents.
Is Tellis a common name?
We classify Tellis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 295 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tellis most popular?
The single biggest year for Tellis was 1975, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tellis is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tellis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tellis 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.
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.