Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson was an English poet. He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829 he was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his first pieces, "Timbuktu". He published his first solo collection of poems, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Tennyson
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson was an English poet. He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829 he was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his first pieces, "Timbuktu". He published his first solo collection of poems, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830.
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Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Tennyson
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Tennyson as a girl name dates back to 2003, when 8 babies received it. 2017 was its biggest year on record, with 43 newborns named Tennyson — #3,550 in the national rankings. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 60% of all recorded Tennysons. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #9,472 among girl names with 8 births, falling sharply (-55%). In total, more than 407 Tennysons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Tennyson on the record books as a boy name in 1913, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 48 Tennysons were born — ranking #2,542 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 33% of all recorded Tennysons. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #4,301 among boy names with 25 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 1K Tennysons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Tennyson
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tennyson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tennyson
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About the name Tennyson
Tennyson is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Tennyson's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #2,184. Use the chart and map above to compare Tennyson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
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- Top names of 2026 →
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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.