Tj
A modern masculine name of American origin, a diminutive form of Thomas.
Name Census estimates that about 2,038 living Americans carry the first name Tj. It is a predominantly male name (99.5% of registrations). The average person named Tj today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tj births was 1988 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tj. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Tj with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
2.0K
~ 1 in 168,182 Americans
Peak year
1988
74 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,046
Tracked since 1917
Gender
Gender distribution for Tj
Out of the 2,119 babies given the name Tj since 1880, 99.5% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Tj as a male name
- Ranked #4,046 in 2024
- 27 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1988 (74 births)
Tj as a female name
- Ranked #12,719 in 1986
- 5 female births in 1986
- Peak: 1985 (5 births)
Popularity
Tj: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tj from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 544 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
Tj 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 Tj during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tjs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, Utah recorded the most babies named Tj, while Wisconsin, Oregon, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tj
The name Tj is a modern variation of the Dutch name Tijs, which is a shortened form of the name Matthijs or Matthias. The name Matthias is derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God." The earliest known use of the name Tj dates back to the late 20th century, primarily in the Netherlands and other Dutch-speaking regions.
While the name Tj itself does not have a long historical lineage, its root name Matthias has been in use for centuries. In the Bible, Matthias was one of the apostles chosen to replace Judas Iscariot after his betrayal of Jesus Christ. This biblical reference has likely contributed to the enduring popularity of the name Matthias and its variations across different cultures.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tijs was Tijs Michielszoon, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived from 1501 to 1559. He was known for his intricate landscape paintings and his work as an etcher. Another notable figure was Tijs Goldschmidt (1824-1893), a Dutch industrialist and co-founder of the Werkspoor engineering company in Utrecht.
In more recent history, Tijs Verwest (1927-2010) was a Dutch politician and member of the Christian Democratic Appeal party, serving as a member of the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1986. Tijs van Leer (born 1944) is a Dutch musician and composer, best known as the founder and lead vocalist of the progressive rock band Focus.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Tijs is the Dutch DJ and record producer Tijs Michiel Verwest, better known by his stage name Tiësto (born 1969). He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful DJs in the world, having won numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the electronic dance music scene.
While the name Tj may not have a rich historical background, its connection to the name Matthias and its biblical roots, as well as its Dutch heritage, have contributed to its growing popularity in recent times. The name's simplicity and unique spelling have also made it an appealing choice for parents seeking a distinctive yet meaningful name for their child.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Tj
People
Tj + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tj 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
Tj: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tj?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,038 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tj 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 168,182 US residents.
Is Tj a common name?
We classify Tj as "Rare". It ranks above 93.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,119 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tj most popular?
The single biggest year for Tj was 1988, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tj is about 29 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 Tj in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tj a male name?
Yes, 99.5% of people registered as Tj 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 Tj still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tj 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 Tj 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 have Tj as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.