Tennessee Baby Names: Trends & Data (1910–2025)

Boys

Tennessee's male baby naming trends reveal significant shifts across generations. In 2025, Noah led with 444 births, a stark contrast to the 1950s when James was the dominant name. Compared to 30 years ago, Andrew has seen the fastest ascent, climbing 6 rank positions. Meanwhile, Christopher experienced the biggest decline, dropping 11 rank positions, illustrating evolving parental choices over time.

Girls

Tennessee's female baby naming trends reveal a dynamic landscape across decades. In 2025, Charlotte led with 423 births, a stark contrast to the 1950s when Mary was the dominant name. Significant shifts are evident: Alexis has risen fastest compared to 30 years ago, climbing 11 rank positions. Meanwhile, Ashley experienced the biggest decline, dropping 16 rank positions, illustrating the evolving preferences.

#1 Boy (2025)

Noah

#1 Girl (2025)

Charlotte

Fastest Rising

Andrew

↑ +6

Biggest Decline

Christopher

↓ −11

Longest #1 Run

James

7 decades at #1

Total Births (2025)

16,667

births tracked

How the Most Popular Names Changed Over Time

Popularity by decade — lower ranks indicate greater popularity (#1 is the most popular name).

Decade	James	William	Mason	Liam	Oliver
1910s	Rank #1	Rank #2	—	—	—
1920s	Rank #1	Rank #2	—	—	—
1930s	Rank #1	Rank #2	—	—	—
1940s	Rank #1	Rank #2	—	—	—
1950s	Rank #1	Rank #2	—	—	—
1960s	Rank #1	Rank #6	—	—	—
1970s	Rank #1	Rank #6	—	—	—
1980s	Rank #4	Rank #6	—	—	—
1990s	Rank #5	Rank #3	—	—	—
2000s	Rank #3	Rank #1	—	—	—
2010s	Rank #3	Rank #1	Rank #4	Rank #7	—
2020s	Rank #5	Rank #2	—	Rank #1	Rank #4

Baby Names by Decade

Biggest Name Shifts

Names that climbed or fell the most in popularity

Fastest Rising

Andrew

+6 rank positions · since 1980s

Biggest Decline

Christopher

-11 rank positions · since 1980s

How Tennessee Compares to the Nation

Names that rank notably higher or lower here vs. the U.S. overall

More Popular in Tennessee

Shepherd
#92 here · #247 nationally↑ +155
Tucker
#81 here · #181 nationally↑ +100
Barrett
#72 here · #170 nationally↑ +98
Stetson
#43 here · #136 nationally↑ +93
Judah
#87 here · #176 nationally↑ +89

Less Popular in Tennessee

Julian
#80 here · #25 nationally↓ −55
Sebastian
#70 here · #16 nationally↓ −54
Luca
#67 here · #14 nationally↓ −53
Logan
#99 here · #53 nationally↓ −46
Leo
#64 here · #19 nationally↓ −45

Top 100 Baby Names in Tennessee

Most popular names in 2020–2025, ranked by total births

Top 10

RankNameBirthsNational

#1Noah444#2
#2Liam425#1
#3Oliver411#3
#4James385#6
#5Henry376#5
#6William374#9
#7Hudson323#17
#8Theodore323#4
#9Waylon299#56
#10John297#23

Names #11–100

#11 Elijah
#12 Levi
#13 Asher
#14 Samuel
#15 Wyatt
#16 Jack
#17 Cooper
#18 Grayson
#19 Benjamin
#20 Walker
#21 Lucas
#22 Jackson
#23 Ezra
#24 Weston
#25 Maverick
#26 Elias
#27 Charles
#28 Michael
#29 Carter
#30 Bennett
#31 Beau
#32 Luke
#33 Daniel
#34 Thomas
#35 Dylan
#36 Everett
#37 Rowan
#38 Silas
#39 Owen
#40 Roman
#41 Mason
#42 David
#43 Stetson
#44 Gabriel
#45 Joseph
#46 Mateo
#47 Miles
#48 Ethan
#49 Brooks
#50 Eithan
#51 Christopher
#52 Lincoln
#53 Colton
#54 Matthew
#55 Thiago
#56 Nolan
#57 River
#58 Atlas
#59 Archer
#60 Andrew
#61 Jacob
#62 Joshua
#63 Josiah
#64 Leo
#65 Isaac
#66 Isaiah
#67 Luca
#68 Alexander
#69 Wesley
#70 Sebastian
#71 Easton
#72 Barrett
#73 Aiden
#74 Axel
#75 Colter
#76 Ezekiel
#77 Caleb
#78 Sawyer
#79 Beckett
#80 Julian
#81 Tucker
#82 Robert
#83 Harrison
#84 August
#85 Jaxon
#86 Carson
#87 Judah
#88 Arthur
#89 Greyson
#90 Parker
#91 Ryder
#92 Shepherd
#93 Dawson
#94 Jayden
#95 Nathan
#96 Emmett
#97 Micah
#98 Jace
#99 Logan
#100 Hayes

Explore Neighboring States

See how naming trends differ in nearby states