ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1983

First Year

2026

Last Year

2011

Peak Year

#3156

Peak Rank

718

Total Count

41

Years Active

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🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Tej

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Tej is a honey wine, like mead, that is brewed and consumed in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It has an alcohol content generally ranging from 7 to 11%. It is often home processed and consists of three main ingredients; honey, water and a medicinal shrub called "gesho". Tej is also available commercially to buy in many different types.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tej) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tej)

🏛️Origin & history

Tej has an extensive history in Ethiopian society and is thought to be one of the oldest alcoholic beverages ever produced. Although tej is largely consumed in Ethiopia, it is not restricted to Ethiopia. Fermented honey drinks are thought to be some of the oldest alcoholic beverages in existence. Tej has been consumed for generations in other countries including Eritrea and other variations of fermented honey beverages have been made throughout the continent, for example other honey meads such as Tanzanian wanzuki and Kenyan muratina. It is not known exactly when honey, water and gesho were fi

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Tej](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/ET_Amhara_asv2018-02_img077_Lake_Tana_at_Bahir_Dar.jpg/330px-ET_Amhara_asv2018-02_img077_Lake_Tana_at_Bahir_Dar.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tej)

📖

## The Story of Tej

American parents first put Tej on the record books as a baby boy name in 1983, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 33 Tejs were born — ranking #3,306 that year. About 35% of every Tej on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Tej ranks #6,258 for baby boys with 14 births, falling sharply (-21%). All told, over 718 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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## Names that sound like Tej

Phonetically similar names — useful when Tej is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Tay](/tay)
* [Tae](/tae)
* Teh
* [Tei](/tei)
* [Tais](/tais)
* Taigh
* [Tea](/tea)
* [Tee](/tee)
* Tie
* [Ta](/ta)
* [Thai](/thai)
* [Te](/te)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Tej

What does the name Tej mean?

Tej is a honey wine, like mead, that is brewed and consumed in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It has an alcohol content generally ranging from 7 to 11%. It is often home processed and consists of three main ingredients; honey, water and a medicinal shrub called "gesho". Tej is also available commercially to buy in many different types.

How popular is Tej in 2026?

In 2026, Tej ranks #6,258 among boys' names in the U.S., with 14 babies given the name that year.

When was Tej most popular?

Tej reached its peak popularity in 2011, ranking #3,156 that year with 33 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Tej most popular?

Tej has historically been most popular in New Jersey, Illinois, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Tej.

Is Tej a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Tej is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Tej?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Tej include Tamer, Destiny, Nashaun. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👦TamerPeak #3156](/tamer)[👦DestinyPeak #3156](/destiny)[👦NashaunPeak #3156](/nashaun)[👦TellerPeak #3156](/teller)[👦VanniePeak #3155](/vannie)[👦ClarionPeak #3155](/clarion)[👦LasterPeak #3155](/laster)[👦LemualPeak #3155](/lemual)

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## About the name Tej 

Tej is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1983 and has accumulated 718 births in the dataset. Tej's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #3,156\. Use the chart and map above to compare Tej's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 2011 → ](/year/2011)
* [ Names of the 2010s → ](/decade/2010s)
* [ Names starting with "T" → ](/letter/t)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides. 

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