Tennille
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly an elaboration of an Old English element "ten".
Name Census estimates that about 2,024 living Americans carry the first name Tennille. It is a predominantly female name (99.3% of registrations). The average person named Tennille today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tennille births was 1976 (777 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tennille. 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
2.0K
~ 1 in 169,345 Americans
Peak year
1976
777 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1977 SSA rank
#5,069
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Tennille
Out of the 2,194 babies given the name Tennille since 1880, 99.3% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Tennille as a male name
- Ranked #5,069 in 1977
- 7 male births in 1977
- Peak: 1976 (8 births)
Tennille as a female name
- Ranked #13,297 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1976 (769 births)
Popularity
Tennille: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tennille from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,566 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
Tennille 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 Tennille during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tennilles live
The SSA's state-level files cover 39 states and territories. New York, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Tennille, while Nevada, New Mexico, Nebraska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tennille
The name Tennille is believed to have originated from the Old French word "tenelle," which means "small holding" or "small estate." This etymology suggests that the name may have initially been used as a surname referring to someone who owned or lived on a small piece of land.
In the 12th century, the name Tennille appeared in various records and texts from the Normandy region of France. It was often spelled as "Tenelle" or "Thenelle" during this period. As the name spread across Europe, different spelling variations emerged, including "Tennell," "Tennill," and eventually "Tennille."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tennille was Geoffroy de Tennelle, a Norman knight who participated in the Third Crusade in the late 12th century. His name was documented in the Chronicles of the Crusades, written by various medieval chroniclers.
Another notable figure in history with the name Tennille was Jeanne Tennille, a French noblewoman who lived in the 15th century. She was known for her involvement in the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and her name appears in several historical accounts from that period.
In the 16th century, an English merchant named William Tennille was recorded as one of the first settlers in the Virginia Colony of America. He played a role in establishing trade routes and commercial relationships between the colonies and England.
During the 18th century, a French artist named Marie-Anne Tennille gained recognition for her intricate portrait paintings. She was commissioned by several notable figures of the time, including members of the French royal family.
In the 19th century, a Scottish writer named Robert Tennille published several literary works, including a collection of poems and a novel titled "The Trials of Tennille." His writings explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Throughout history, the name Tennille has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and professions, each leaving their unique mark on the world. While its origins may have been humble, the name has transcended time and geographic boundaries, becoming a part of the rich tapestry of human history.
People
Tennille + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tennille 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
Tennille: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tennille?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,024 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tennille 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 169,345 US residents.
Is Tennille a common name?
We classify Tennille as "Rare". It ranks above 93.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,194 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tennille most popular?
The single biggest year for Tennille was 1976, when 777 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tennille is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tennille a female name?
Yes, 99.3% of people registered as Tennille 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.