girl's name
Tanya
TAHN-yuh
- Origin Russian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 126,429
Northern Ireland
#236
2004 births
Tanya is a Russian pet form of Tatiana, whose meaning is not known — the Roman family name behind it may be Sabine rather than Latin, and the Sabine language is barely attested at all.
- Tanya is a name of Russian origin.
- Peaked in 1974, when 6,038 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 82,884 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1914.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Tanya over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 48 |
| 1920s | 84 |
| 1930s | 383 |
| 1940s | 2,055 |
| 1950s | 7,920 |
| 1960s | 23,087 |
| 1970s | 48,044 |
| 1980s | 22,402 |
| 1990s | 7,599 |
| 2000s | 3,943 |
| 2010s | 1,389 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 306 |
What Tanya means
Tanya has no securely known meaning, because Tatiana does not. The Roman name Tatius behind it is probably Sabine, and that language is too poorly recorded to translate.
Where Tanya comes from
Tanya is the Russian pet form of Tatiana, the feminine of the Roman Tatianus, from Tatius — a name Roman tradition assigns to Titus Tatius, a Sabine king who ruled jointly with Romulus. The Sabine language is attested in only a handful of words, so the name's meaning is genuinely unrecoverable rather than merely disputed. Saint Tatiana was a third-century Roman martyr, and her feast on 25 January is Russian Students' Day, which is why the name carries particular weight there.
Tanya in use
Tanya peaked in the United States in 1974, when 6,038 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 786th in Scotland on 4 births, 1805th in France on 20, 2438th in England and Wales on 12 and 3778th in the United States on 40, across 126,429 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. Every European market ranks it above America now.
How popular is Tanya?
In 2025, Tanya was given to 40 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Tanya is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Tanya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Tanya also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tanya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Tanya in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Tanya
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Tanya — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Tanya
What does the name Tanya mean?
Not known. Tatiana comes from the Roman Tatius, which is probably Sabine — a language recorded in only a handful of words.
Is Tanya short for Tatiana?
Yes, the Russian pet form.
Why is Tatiana's feast Russian Students' Day?
Moscow State University was founded on 25 January, her feast day, and she became its patron.
How popular is Tanya?
786th in Scotland, its strongest market, and 3778th in the United States.
Is Tanya a girl's or a boy's name?
Tanya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Tanya?
Tanya has 2 syllables.
Is Tanya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Tanya currently ranks #786 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.