Tuck
An English masculine name derived from a diminutive of the name Tucker.
Name Census estimates that about 277 living Americans carry the first name Tuck. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tuck today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tuck births was 2013 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tuck. 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
277
~ 1 in 1,237,380 Americans
Peak year
2013
29 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,411
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Tuck: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tuck from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 173 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Tuck remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tuck 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 Tuck during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tucks live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tuck
The name Tuck is believed to have originated as a nickname derived from the Old English word "tucian," which means "to torment" or "to punish." This nickname was likely given to individuals who were perceived as mischievous or troublesome. The name's roots can be traced back to England in the early medieval period, around the 7th to 11th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tuck appears in the late 12th century in the famous folklore tale of Robin Hood. In this story, Friar Tuck is a jovial and corpulent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men, known for his love of food and drink. While the historical accuracy of the character is debated, the inclusion of the name in this enduring legend suggests its usage during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name Tuck can be found in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. These records document individuals with surnames derived from nicknames like Tuck, indicating its continued use as a given name.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Tuck was Sir Tuck de Somerville, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. Born around 1320, he participated in several significant battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.
Another famous bearer of the name was Tuck Redding, an American singer-songwriter born in 1940 and known for his soulful voice and hits like "Respect" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Redding tragically died in a plane crash in 1967 at the age of 26, but his music left an indelible mark on the world of rhythm and blues.
In the field of literature, Tuck Everlasting is the title of a beloved children's novel written by Natalie Babbitt and published in 1975. The story centers around a family named the Tucks, who have discovered the secret to eternal life. The name Tuck in this context adds a whimsical and timeless quality to the characters.
While the name Tuck has fallen out of fashion in recent times, its historical significance and literary associations have ensured that it maintains a place in the collective cultural consciousness, serving as a reminder of its enduring legacy.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Tuck
People
Tuck + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tuck 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
Tuck: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tuck?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 277 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tuck 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 1,237,380 US residents.
Is Tuck a common name?
We classify Tuck as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 284 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tuck most popular?
The single biggest year for Tuck was 2013, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tuck is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tuck a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tuck 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.
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.