How Many People Are Named Tenny?
An estimated 38 people in the United States have the first name Tenny. It is used for both genders, with 55.7% female. The average bearer is 65 years old, and Tenny peaked in popularity in 1919 with 11 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Tenny as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Tenny paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 65, Tenny is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1971.
- Tenny is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
38
About 1 in 9,019,851 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
55.7% confidence
Average Age
65
years old
Peak Year
1919
11 births
Total Registered
70
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Tenny
Tenny is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (44.3%) and females (55.7%). Out of 70 total births registered, 31 were male and 39 were female.
Tenny as a male name
Ranked #4,599 in 1961
5 male births in 1961
Peak: 1958 (6 births)
Tenny as a female name
Ranked #13,001 in 1991
6 female births in 1991
Peak: 1920 (7 births)
Tenny in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 336 people with the first name Tenny, which placed it at #27,293 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Tenny was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 336 people with this name in that snapshot, 43.8% were male and 56.3% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 55.7% of the time.
Census Count
336
people with this name
Census Rank
#27,293
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.11
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Tenny was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (49.12%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (31.18%) and Black (10.88%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Tenny in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Tenny.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 49.12% | 167 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 31.18% | 106 |
| Black | 10.88% | 37 |
| Hispanic | 4.41% | 15 |
| Two or More Races | 3.82% | 13 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.59% | 2 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Tenny: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Tenny span from the 1910s to the 1990s, covering 7 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 26 babies were registered. Tenny has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Tenny by Decade
How has Tenny tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Tenny + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Tenny as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Tenny
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
Tenny: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tenny?
We estimate approximately 38 people named Tenny are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 9,019,851 Americans share this first name.
Is Tenny a common name?
Tenny is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 50.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 70 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Tenny most popular?
Tenny reached peak popularity in 1919, when 11 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Tenny is approximately 65 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Tenny in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 336 people with the first name Tenny. That placed it at #27,293 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.11 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Tenny was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Tenny?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Tenny was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 43.8% male and 56.3% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Tenny?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Tenny was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (49.12%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (31.18%) and Black (10.88%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Tenny a female name?
Tenny is predominantly female. 55.7% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Tenny have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Tenny peaked in 1919, and the average living bearer is about 65 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Tenny Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Tenny Smith, Tenny Johnson, Tenny Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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