Tide
A unisex name of English origin meaning "time or season".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Tide. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tide today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tide births was 2020 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tide. 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 Tide. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2020
6 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,879
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Tide: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tide 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 Tide during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tide
The name Tide is a relatively modern invention, likely originating in the English language within the last few centuries. It is derived from the English word "tide," which refers to the periodic rising and falling of the ocean's waters caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.
While the word "tide" has been in use since the Old English period, its use as a given name is much more recent. The name may have been inspired by the rhythmic and cyclical nature of the tides, suggesting a sense of regularity, reliability, or perhaps even a connection to the natural world.
There are no known historical references or recordings of the name Tide in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records, as it is a relatively new coinage. However, a few notable individuals have borne this name in modern times.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tide was Tide Wilbur Ren, an American baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers in the 1940s and 1950s. He was born in 1925 and passed away in 1991.
Another notable figure with the name Tide was Tide Tomkins, an American artist and sculptor who was active in the mid-20th century. He was born in 1919 and passed away in 2005.
In the field of literature, Tide Lewis was an American poet and writer who published several collections of poetry in the latter half of the 20th century. He was born in 1938 and passed away in 2018.
Tide Randolph was an American entrepreneur and businesswoman who founded a successful apparel company in the 1980s. She was born in 1955 and is still active in the business world.
In the realm of music, Tide Jameson was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who gained popularity in the folk music scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in 1942 and passed away in 2010.
While the name Tide is still relatively uncommon, it has gained some recognition in recent decades, perhaps appealing to those seeking a unique and nature-inspired name for their child. Its connection to the rhythmic and cyclical nature of the tides may resonate with some parents, adding a touch of poetic symbolism to this modern moniker.
People
Tide + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tide 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
Tide: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tide?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tide 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Tide a common name?
We classify Tide as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tide most popular?
The single biggest year for Tide was 2020, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tide is about 6 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 Tide in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tide a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tide 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.
Is Tide still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tide 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 Tide 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 Tide?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.