Tensie
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a diminutive or feminine form of a name containing "tens".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Tensie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tensie today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tensie births was 1918 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tensie. 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
- • The typical person named Tensie is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Tensies were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tensie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1918
5 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1963 SSA rank
#7,548
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Tensie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tensie from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tensie 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 Tensie 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 Tensie
The name Tensie is believed to have originated from the Old English word "tene," which means "affliction" or "injury." It emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, spanning from the 5th to the 11th centuries. The name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for someone who had endured a significant hardship or physical trauma.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tensie can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a woman named Tensie who owned land in the county of Sussex. This suggests that the name had already gained some popularity among the Anglo-Saxon population by the late 11th century.
In medieval times, the name Tensie appeared occasionally in various historical records and chronicles. One notable mention is of a Tensie de Beaumont, a noblewoman from Normandy, who lived during the 12th century and was known for her philanthropic efforts in establishing a hospice for travelers and the poor.
During the Renaissance period, the name Tensie experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the wealthy and aristocratic classes. A famous bearer of the name was Tensie Boleyn, a cousin of the ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn, who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Tensie gained prominence in literary circles. Tensie Bradstreet, born in 1612, was an acclaimed poet and the first published writer in the British North American colonies. Her collection of poems, entitled "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America," was published in 1650 and earned her widespread recognition.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the name Tensie was Tensie Hutchinson, a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the late 17th century. She was a vocal advocate for religious tolerance and was tragically executed during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, accused of witchcraft.
While the name Tensie has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a unique and historically significant moniker with roots deeply embedded in English and Anglo-Saxon culture.
People
Tensie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tensie 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
Tensie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tensie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tensie 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 Tensie a common name?
We classify Tensie 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, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tensie most popular?
The single biggest year for Tensie was 1918, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tensie is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tensie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tensie 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.