Tinker
Tinker or tinkerer is an archaic term for an itinerant tinsmith who mends household utensils.
Meaning & Origin of Tinker
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tinker or tinkerer is an archaic term for an itinerant tinsmith who mends household utensils.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Tinker
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Tinker as a girl name dates back to 1955, when 5 babies received it. 1955 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Tinker — #5,828 in the national rankings. Tinker last appeared in the published SSA data in 1959, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 10 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Tinker first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1954, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1954: 5 births, good for #3,828 nationwide. About 50% of every Tinker on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Tinker last appeared in the published SSA data in 1961, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 10 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Tinker
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tinker is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Tunker
- Tanker
- Tenger
- Ticker
- Stinker
- Tink
- Tincture
- Dunker
- Tinkers
- Tinkered
- Tinkler
- Tinkerer
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tinker
What does the name Tinker mean?
How popular is Tinker in 2026?
When was Tinker most popular?
Is Tinker a unisex name?
What names go well with Tinker?
About the name Tinker
Tinker is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1955 and has accumulated 10 births in the dataset. Tinker's peak popularity came in 1955 when it ranked #5,828. Use the chart and map above to compare Tinker's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1955 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.