The first name Tennessee
A unisex name meaning “winding river”.
Pronounced /ˌtɛnəˈsiː/ 3 syllables Unisex
Meaning and origin
Tennessee means “winding river”.
From Cherokee ᏔᎾᏏ (tanasi), believed to mean “winding river”.
More names that mean river.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 8 girls were named Tennessee, making it the 3,035th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 8 births (#3,015).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Tennessee with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Tennessee at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 27 girls born in the United States were named Tennessee, the 4,974th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2021, when 39 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Tennessee
2 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Tennessee WilliamsAmerican playwright (1911–1983)
- Tennessee ClaflinAmerican suffragist (1844-1923)
Questions
- What does the name Tennessee mean?
- Tennessee means “winding river”.
- How popular is the name Tennessee?
- In 2025, 8 girls born in England and Wales were named Tennessee, ranking 3,035th. Its peak was 2024, with 8 births.
- Is Tennessee a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 1,367 US babies named Tennessee since 1880, 72% were girls and 28% boys.
- When was Tennessee most popular?
- 2021 in the United States, when 39 babies were named Tennessee, its highest rank at 3,874th.
- How do you pronounce Tennessee?
- Tennessee is /ˌtɛnəˈsiː/, 3 syllables.