Tennell
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly an invented name.
Name Census estimates that about 17 living Americans carry the first name Tennell. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 72.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Tennell today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tennell births was 1976 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tennell. 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 Tennell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
17
~ 1 in 20,162,020 Americans
Peak year
1976
8 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1989 SSA rank
#9,099
Tracked since 1976
Gender
Gender distribution for Tennell
Tennell is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 18 total registrations, 5 (27.8%) were male and 13 (72.2%) were female.
Tennell as a male name
- Ranked #9,099 in 1989
- 5 male births in 1989
- Peak: 1989 (5 births)
Tennell as a female name
- Ranked #11,164 in 1977
- 5 female births in 1977
- Peak: 1976 (8 births)
Popularity
Tennell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tennell from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 13 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Tennell remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tennell 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 Tennell 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 Tennell
The name Tennell is an English surname derived from the Old English word "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, and the word "hyll" meaning a hill. The name likely originated as a place name, referring to a settlement on a hill.
The earliest known use of the name Tennell dates back to the 12th century in England. It was initially used as a surname, but over time, it also became adopted as a given name, particularly in the United States.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tennell was Sir John Tennell, a knight who lived in the 13th century and fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was known for his bravery and loyalty to the English crown.
In the 16th century, there was a notable English poet named Tennell Vaughan, who was known for his lyrical works and sonnets. He was born in 1560 and died in 1622.
Another prominent figure with the name Tennell was Thomas Tennell, an English philosopher and theologian who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1638 and died in 1714. Tennell was known for his works on natural theology and his defense of Christianity against the arguments of deists and atheists.
In the 19th century, there was an American artist named Tennell Ingram, who was born in 1841 and died in 1914. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works were exhibited in several prestigious galleries in the United States.
More recently, in the 20th century, there was an American figure skater named Tennell Flower, who was born in 1920 and died in 2004. She was a member of the United States Olympic figure skating team and won several national and international competitions during her career.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Tennell. While not a common name, it has a rich history and has been carried by notable figures in various fields, including literature, philosophy, art, and sports.
People
Tennell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tennell 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
Tennell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tennell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 17 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tennell 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 20,162,020 US residents.
Is Tennell a common name?
We classify Tennell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 37.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 18 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tennell most popular?
The single biggest year for Tennell was 1976, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tennell is about 45 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 Tennell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tennell a female name?
Yes, 72.2% of people registered as Tennell 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.
Is Tennell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tennell 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 Tennell 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 named Tennell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.