Tifney
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from a French surname.
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Tifney. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tifney today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tifney births was 1970 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tifney. 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 Tifney. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1970
7 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1982 SSA rank
#12,182
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Tifney: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tifney 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 19 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
Tifney 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 Tifney 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 Tifney
The name Tifney has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "tifian," which means "to decorate" or "to adorn." It emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
While the exact origin of the name is uncertain, some historians believe it may have been influenced by the Old Norse word "tifr," which means "beautiful" or "ornamental." This suggests that the name Tifney may have been originally bestowed upon individuals who were considered exceptionally beautiful or adorned with fine garments or jewelry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tifney can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Tifney de Wenloch, who held properties in the county of Shropshire.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Tifney de Courtenay was a prominent member of the nobility in France. She was the daughter of Reginald de Courtenay, a powerful nobleman and crusader, and is mentioned in several historical chronicles of the time.
During the Renaissance period, a Venetian artist named Tifney Bellini (1470-1516) gained recognition for her exquisite portraiture and religious paintings. Her works can be found in various galleries and churches across Italy.
In the 17th century, Tifney Montague (1608-1671) was a English noblewoman and diarist, known for her vivid accounts of life in the court of King Charles I. Her diaries provide valuable insights into the social and political climate of that era.
Another notable figure bearing the name Tifney was Tifney Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), a British writer and philosopher who is considered one of the founding feminist thinkers. Her influential work, "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," advocated for gender equality and women's education.
These examples showcase the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the name Tifney throughout various periods and cultures, reflecting its enduring presence and significance over the centuries.
People
Tifney + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tifney 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
Tifney: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tifney?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tifney 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 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Tifney a common name?
We classify Tifney as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 35 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tifney most popular?
The single biggest year for Tifney was 1970, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tifney is about 49 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 Tifney in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tifney a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tifney 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 Tifney still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tifney 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 Tifney 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 Americans are named Tifney?
See how many people share the name Tifney on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.