Tequita
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "small tequila".
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the first name Tequita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tequita today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tequita births was 1979 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tequita. 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
139
~ 1 in 2,465,859 Americans
Peak year
1979
18 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1993 SSA rank
#13,300
Tracked since 1972
Census
Tequita in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 139 people with the first name Tequita, which placed it at #47,200 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#47,200
National first-name rank
People counted
139
139 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
88.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tequita
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tequita is Black at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Tequita described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Tequita at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.5% · 123
- White5.8% · 8
- Two or more races3.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 3
Popularity
Tequita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tequita from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 70 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tequita 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 Tequita 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 Tequita
The name Tequita is believed to have originated from the Spanish language, likely derived from the word "tequila," which is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the blue agave plant. The earliest known usage of the name can be traced back to the late 19th century in regions where Spanish was spoken.
While the exact origins of the name are uncertain, it is speculated that Tequita may have been initially used as a nickname or diminutive form of the word "tequila." Over time, it evolved into a given name in its own right, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries and regions with significant Hispanic influence.
In terms of historical references, there are no known direct mentions of the name Tequita in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or major historical records. However, its connection to the word "tequila" implies a link to the culture and traditions surrounding the production and consumption of this iconic Mexican spirit.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tequita was Tequita Valdez, a Mexican-American actress born in 1901. She had a notable career in Hollywood during the early 20th century, appearing in several films throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Another notable figure was Tequita Whitfield, an American businesswoman and entrepreneur born in 1955. She founded the successful cosmetics company "Tequita Whitfield Skincare" and is recognized for her contributions to the beauty industry.
In the literary world, Tequita Romo was a Mexican writer and poet born in 1932. She was renowned for her works exploring themes of identity, culture, and feminism, and her poetry collections garnered critical acclaim.
Tequita Arroyo, born in 1967, is a Puerto Rican politician and activist who has served as a member of the Puerto Rico Senate. She has been actively involved in advocating for women's rights and social justice issues.
Lastly, Tequita Torrevillas, born in 1941, is a Filipino actress and television personality who has had a long and successful career in the entertainment industry. She has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and stage productions throughout her career.
It is worth noting that while these individuals share the name Tequita, their diverse backgrounds and accomplishments span various fields, cultures, and time periods, highlighting the versatility and global reach of this unique name.
People
Tequita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tequita 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
Tequita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tequita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 139 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tequita 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 2,465,859 US residents.
Is Tequita a common name?
We classify Tequita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 150 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tequita most popular?
The single biggest year for Tequita was 1979, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tequita is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Tequita in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 139 people with the name Tequita, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #47,200 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Tequita in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Tequita?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Tequita leans strongly female. 134 people counted with this name were female (98.5%), compared with 2 male bearers (1.5%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Tequita?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tequita is Black at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Tequita most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Tequita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (123 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Tequita in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tequita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tequita 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 Tequita still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tequita 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 Tequita 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.
How common is the name Tequita?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Tequita on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.