Tunny
An English surname transferred from the fish name.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Tunny. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tunny today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tunny births was 1927 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tunny. 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 Tunny. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1927
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1927 SSA rank
#3,751
Tracked since 1927
Popularity
Tunny: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tunny 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 Tunny during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tunny
The given name Tunny has its roots in the Old English language, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period between the 5th and 11th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tunne," which referred to a tun or a large cask or barrel used for storing liquids, particularly ale or wine. The name may have originally been a nickname or occupational surname for someone involved in the brewing or wine-making trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tunny can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned in 1086 by William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Tunni in the village of Twywell, Northamptonshire, England. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century, which lists a Tunni de Grava among the landholders.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Tunny was Tunny of Coventry (c. 1210-1285), a skilled stonemason and architect who played a significant role in the construction of the historic Coventry Cathedral. His precise birth and death dates are unknown, but records indicate his involvement in the cathedral's building works during the mid-13th century.
During the 15th century, a Tunny Clough (c. 1420-1492) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, England. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1472 and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of a charitable trust to support the city's poor.
In the 16th century, Tunny Perseval (1515-1578) was a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the Italian Wars under King Henry II of France. He was renowned for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield and was awarded the prestigious Order of Saint Michael for his service.
Moving into the 17th century, Tunny Underhill (1635-1672) was an English playwright and poet who gained recognition for his satirical works and comedies. His most famous play, "The Mock Tempest," was a parody of Shakespeare's famous work and enjoyed considerable success during the Restoration period.
While the name Tunny has seen a decline in popularity in recent times, it remains a unique and intriguing moniker with a rich historical lineage. Its origins in the Old English language and associations with various trades and professions throughout the centuries add depth and character to this distinctive name.
People
Tunny + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tunny 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
Tunny: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tunny?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tunny 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 - US residents.
Is Tunny a common name?
We classify Tunny as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tunny most popular?
The single biggest year for Tunny was 1927, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tunny is about 0 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 Tunny in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tunny a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tunny 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 Tunny still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tunny 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 Tunny 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 Tunny?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.