Boy · #3,558 in 2026

Tennis

Name: Popularity of the name Tennis in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Tennis, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket strung with a cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court.

Current Rank

#3,558

Peak Rank

#2,186 (1926)

Total Babies

202

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1913

First Year

1967

Last Year

1926

Peak Year

#2186

Peak Rank

202

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Tennis

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

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

Main article: History of tennis

The Story of Tennis

Tennis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1913, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1926, when 14 Tenniss were born — ranking #2,186 that year. As of 2026, Tennis ranks #3,558 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 202 Tenniss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Tennis

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

Tenace
Tenis
Tenesse
Tonous
Tonus
Tunis
Tanis
Tms
Tonis
Temis
Tense
Thomas

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tennis

What does the name Tennis mean?

How popular is Tennis in 2026?

In 2026, Tennis ranks #3,558 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Tennis most popular?

Tennis reached its peak popularity in 1926, ranking #2,186 that year with 14 babies given the name.

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

Tennis has historically been most popular in West Virginia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Tennis.

Is Tennis a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Tennis?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Tennis include Ludger, Estanislado, Merel. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Tennis

Tennis is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 202 births in the dataset. Tennis's peak popularity came in 1926 when it ranked #2,186. Use the chart and map above to compare Tennis's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

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.