At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025 (boys)
- #2,230 (outside the top 1,000)
- Babies in 2025 (boys)
- 63 (<0.01% of boys)
- As a girl name
- #3,975 in 2025 (36 babies)Peak #2,646 in 2023
- Trend (boys)
- Steady #2,212 in 2020 to #2,230 in 2025
- Peak (boys)
- #1,751 in 2014
- First recorded
- 1992 (as a boy name; 1996 as a girl name)
Meaning of Tenzin
Tenzin is a unisex treasure that drifts in from the snowy peaks of Tibet, carrying a meaning as light and uplifting as “holder of the teachings.” Spoken as ten-ZIN, it has long been linked with wisdom thanks to the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, whose calm smile lights up every prayer flag from Lhasa to the lanes of Dharamshala. In India’s Himalayan belt, the name feels as familiar as the scent of butter tea, yet it still sounds fresh and adventurous in the wider world. Parents who pick Tenzin often say they love how it balances strength with serenity—like a monk who can still crack a good joke at the tea stall. Its steady appearance on U.S. charts proves that quiet charisma travels well, and its unisex spirit means any little soul, boy or girl, can grow into it. Give a child this name and you hand them a passport stamped with peace, curiosity, and a dash of mountain-top magic.
How to pronounce Tenzin
Tibetan
- Pronounced ten-ZIN /ˈtɛn.zɪn/
Popularity of Tenzin in the U.S.
Tenzin was the #2,230 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 63 babies. It peaked at #1,751 in 2014. It first appears in the records in 1992. As a girl name it was #3,975 in 2025, with 36 babies.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Boys year by year, 1992–2025 33 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63 | 2,230 | ▲ 31 |
| 2024 | 63 | 2,261 | ▲ 432 |
| 2023 | 48 | 2,693 | ▼ 525 |
| 2022 | 67 | 2,168 | ▲ 296 |
| 2021 | 54 | 2,464 | ▼ 252 |
| 2020 | 62 | 2,212 | ▼ 238 |
| 2019 | 74 | 1,974 | ▲ 148 |
| 2018 | 66 | 2,122 | ▼ 278 |
| 2017 | 80 | 1,844 | ▼ 70 |
| 2016 | 86 | 1,774 | ▲ 121 |
| 2015 | 77 | 1,895 | ▼ 144 |
| 2014 | 86 | 1,751 | ▲ 152 |
| 2013 | 74 | 1,903 | ▼ 116 |
| 2012 | 83 | 1,787 | ▲ 230 |
| 2011 | 67 | 2,017 | ▲ 52 |
| 2010 | 65 | 2,069 | ▲ 74 |
| 2009 | 63 | 2,143 | ▲ 122 |
| 2008 | 58 | 2,265 | ▼ 30 |
| 2007 | 59 | 2,235 | ▲ 463 |
| 2006 | 43 | 2,698 | ▼ 231 |
| 2005 | 46 | 2,467 | ▲ 176 |
| 2004 | 40 | 2,643 | ▲ 476 |
| 2003 | 30 | 3,119 | ▼ 563 |
| 2002 | 38 | 2,556 | ▲ 505 |
| 2001 | 29 | 3,061 | ▼ 440 |
| 2000 | 35 | 2,621 | ▲ 244 |
| 1999 | 29 | 2,865 | ▲ 61 |
| 1998 | 27 | 2,926 | ▲ 2,716 |
| 1997 | 10 | 5,642 | ▲ 340 |
| 1996 | 9 | 5,982 | ▼ 54 |
| 1995 | 9 | 5,928 | ▲ 1,040 |
| 1994 | 7 | 6,968 | back (not recorded in 1993) |
| 1992 | 6 | 7,422 | new |
Girls year by year, 1996–2025 30 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | 3,975 | ▼ 799 |
| 2024 | 50 | 3,176 | ▼ 530 |
| 2023 | 66 | 2,646 | ▲ 667 |
| 2022 | 48 | 3,313 | ▲ 26 |
| 2021 | 47 | 3,339 | ▲ 739 |
| 2020 | 34 | 4,078 | ▼ 1,155 |
| 2019 | 56 | 2,923 | ▲ 127 |
| 2018 | 53 | 3,050 | ▲ 95 |
| 2017 | 51 | 3,145 | ▲ 37 |
| 2016 | 51 | 3,182 | ▼ 158 |
| 2015 | 56 | 3,024 | ▲ 17 |
| 2014 | 55 | 3,041 | ▲ 177 |
| 2013 | 50 | 3,218 | ▼ 124 |
| 2012 | 54 | 3,094 | ▲ 79 |
| 2011 | 52 | 3,173 | ▲ 83 |
| 2010 | 50 | 3,256 | ▼ 404 |
| 2009 | 61 | 2,852 | ▲ 306 |
| 2008 | 53 | 3,158 | ▲ 324 |
| 2007 | 47 | 3,482 | ▲ 591 |
| 2006 | 36 | 4,073 | ▼ 264 |
| 2005 | 38 | 3,809 | ▲ 898 |
| 2004 | 28 | 4,707 | ▼ 838 |
| 2003 | 35 | 3,869 | ▲ 1,037 |
| 2002 | 24 | 4,906 | ▲ 458 |
| 2001 | 21 | 5,364 | ▼ 964 |
| 2000 | 27 | 4,400 | ▼ 596 |
| 1999 | 31 | 3,804 | ▲ 992 |
| 1998 | 22 | 4,796 | ▲ 1,687 |
| 1997 | 14 | 6,483 | ▲ 4,084 |
| 1996 | 7 | 10,567 | new |
Tenzin by state
Notable people named Tenzin
- Tenzin Priyadarshi is a Buddhist monk, philosopher and educator who has spent over two decades at MIT leading work on ethics, compassionate leadership and emerging technologies.
- Tenzin Tsundue is a Tibetan refugee, poet, writer, and activist who has been detained by Indian authorities 16 times for his activism.
- Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is a Tibetan Buddhist nun, author and teacher who founded a nunnery in India and is famous for spending twelve years living in a remote Himalayan cave.
- Tenzin Delek Rinpoche (1950 to 2015) was a Tibetan Buddhist leader who built schools, clinics and monasteries for nomads in eastern Tibet, defended the environment against reckless logging and mining, and worked to bridge Tibetan and Chinese communities.
- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is a Bon Tibetan lama who founded the Ligmincha Institute and several Chamma Ling centers devoted to Bon teachings.
- Tenzin is a Bhutanese politician who has served in the National Assembly of Bhutan since October 2018.