Tinna
A feminine given name of Scandinavian origin meaning "the glittering one".
Name Census estimates that about 273 living Americans carry the first name Tinna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tinna today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tinna births was 1966 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tinna. 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
273
~ 1 in 1,255,510 Americans
Peak year
1966
22 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1996 SSA rank
#15,711
Tracked since 1957
Popularity
Tinna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tinna from the 1950s through to the 1990s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 149 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tinna 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 Tinna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tinnas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tinna
The name Tinna has its origins in Iceland and the Old Norse language. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "tindr," meaning "peak" or "summit." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals born in mountainous regions or may have been associated with strength and endurance.
In the Icelandic language, the name Tinna is a diminutive form of the name Tinni, which is also derived from the Old Norse "tindr." The name Tinni has been documented in Icelandic records dating back to the 13th century, indicating the long-standing presence of this name in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tinna was Tinna Gísladóttir, an Icelandic woman who lived in the 16th century. Historical records mention her as a landowner and prominent figure in her community during that time period.
In the 18th century, Tinna Jónsdóttir (1738-1818) was a notable Icelandic poet and writer. Her collection of poems and personal writings provided valuable insights into the lives and experiences of women in Iceland during that era.
Another famous bearer of the name Tinna was Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir (1854-1936), an Icelandic educator and advocate for women's rights. She played a significant role in establishing educational opportunities for girls and promoting gender equality in Iceland.
In the realm of literature, Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir (1934-2021) was a renowned Icelandic author and playwright. Her works, including novels and plays, explored themes of identity, relationships, and the human condition, earning her critical acclaim both in Iceland and internationally.
Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir (born 1967) is a contemporary Icelandic artist and sculptor. Her works, often made from natural materials like wood and stone, have been exhibited in galleries and public spaces across Iceland and beyond, celebrating the country's natural heritage and cultural identity.
While the name Tinna has its roots in Iceland and the Old Norse language, it has also been adopted and used in other Scandinavian countries and regions with cultural connections to Iceland and the Nordic heritage.
People
Tinna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tinna 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
Tinna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tinna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 273 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tinna 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 1,255,510 US residents.
Is Tinna a common name?
We classify Tinna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 317 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tinna most popular?
The single biggest year for Tinna was 1966, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tinna is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tinna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tinna 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.