Tu
Tu is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Vietnamese.
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
Meaning & Origin of Tu
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tu is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Vietnamese.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
The Story of Tu
As a girl name
American parents first put Tu on the record books as a girl name in 1978, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1990, when 13 Tus were born — ranking #6,465 that year. About 52% of every Tu on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Tu last appeared in the published SSA data in 2018, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 114 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Tu as a boy name dates back to 1978, when 7 babies received it. 1987 was its biggest year on record, with 25 newborns named Tu — #2,272 in the national rankings. About 53% of every Tu on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Tu last appeared in the published SSA data in 2011, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 313 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Tu
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tu 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 Tu
What does the name Tu mean?
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How popular is Tu in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Tu most popular?
Is Tu a unisex name?
What names go well with Tu?
About the name Tu
Tu is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1978 and has accumulated 313 births in the dataset. Tu's peak popularity came in 1987 when it ranked #2,272. Use the chart and map above to compare Tu's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1987 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy 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.