Telly

Last seen for girls in 1978 at #6,948 · Last seen for boys in 2024 at #12,349
Given to boys 94.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1974 · 294 births
Debut · boys
5 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
1,527
since 1967

Telly over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201975peak #468, 1974girlsat peakboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025
2024#12,3495
2023
2022
2021#12,1465
2020#7,03411
2019
2018
2017#8,1409
2016#10,7446
2015#7,49110
2014#9,6427
2013#9,6557
2012#8,1589
2011#5,94514
2010#12,2315
2009#9,8647
2008#9,8717
2007#8,1739
2006#6,46012
2005#5,03416
2004#8,1438
2003#6,71510
2002#4,91915
2001#4,12119
2000#3,42324
1999#5,03513
1998#3,39022
1997#3,26122
1996#4,61313
1995#3,55918
1994#3,75117
1993#3,50118
1992#6,1288
1991#8,2365
1990#5,3829
1989#6,9416
1988
1987
1986#4,4579
1985#3,59912
1984#3,92510
1983#2,91215
1982#2,59618
1981#2,56918
1980#2,28422
1979#2,10424
1978#6,9488#1,14959
1977#5,21312#732136
1976#4,61413#562207
1975#3,51419#480277
1974#3,55818#468294
1973#6,6667#1,31240
1972#3,9637
1971
1970
1969#7,4715
1968#3,1078
1967#3,9665
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
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First appearance
1967

The first year at least five boys were named Telly! It came in at #3,966, and was given to 5 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1969–1971, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Telly is popular in 1975

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedMNIllinois: #452 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 4,891 boysILWisconsin: #388 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,174 boysWIMichigan: #437 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 5,624 boysMINew York: #720 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 11,261 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedINOhio: #444 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 6,962 boysOHPennsylvania: #533 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 10,246 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #1,150 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 25,346 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedNEMissouri: #412 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,481 boysMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedWVVirginia: #416 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,140 boysVAMaryland: #352 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,141 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedKSArkansas: #300 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,481 boysARTennessee: #281 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,509 boysTNNorth Carolina: #216 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 1,462 boysNCSouth Carolina: #151 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 792 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #227 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 1,207 boysLAMississippi: #239 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,405 boysMSAlabama: #242 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,699 boysALGeorgia: #247 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 1,656 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Telly, so not publishedHITexas: #658 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 8,236 boysTXFlorida: #493 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 5,328 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. South Carolina#151 · 1 in 792
  2. North Carolina#216 · 1 in 1,462
  3. Louisiana#227 · 1 in 1,207
  4. Mississippi#239 · 1 in 1,405
  5. Alabama#242 · 1 in 1,699

Best ever in a state: #151 in South Carolina, 1975.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
South Carolina#151251 in 792
North Carolina#216251 in 1,462
Louisiana#227251 in 1,207
Mississippi#239131 in 1,405
Alabama#242151 in 1,699
Georgia#247221 in 1,656
Tennessee#281121 in 2,509
Arkansas#30061 in 2,481
Maryland#35251 in 4,141
Wisconsin#38851 in 6,174
Missouri#41261 in 5,481
Virginia#41661 in 5,140
Michigan#437111 in 5,624
Ohio#444111 in 6,962
Illinois#452161 in 4,891
Florida#49391 in 5,328
Pennsylvania#53371 in 10,246
Texas#658131 in 8,236
New York#720101 in 11,261
California#1,15061 in 25,346
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maine
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Telly
Momentum · boys
Faded out
  • Not published in 2025; last seen 2024
  • Biggest jump: 844 spots in 1974 (#1,312#468)
  • Biggest drop: 417 spots in 1978 (#732#1,149)
Rise & fade · boys
7 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1967
  • Peaked 1974 at #468 (294 births)
  • Births halved by 1977, 3 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 4 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 4 yrs · run 1974–1977
Share of babies · boys
1 in 5,348
  • Highest: 1 in 5,348 boys born in 1974 were named Telly (0.02%)
  • Latest: 1 in 344,578 boys born in 2024 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1970s
  • 68.4% of all boys named Telly (1,044) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 1972
  • Mostly girls until 1971, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1960s13#3,107 (1968)#3,537
1970s1,044#468 (1974)#1,346
1980s110#2,284 (1980)#3,660
1990s145#3,261 (1997)#4,686
2000s127#3,423 (2000)#6,672
2010s67#5,945 (2011)#9,001
2020s21#7,034 (2020)#10,510

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Telly in 1975

girls
#3,514
19 births · 1 in 76,730 girls
boys
#480
277 births · 1 in 5,637 boys

Top girls' names in 1975

  1. #1Jennifer58,190
  2. #2Amy32,254
  3. #3Heather24,301
  4. #4Melissa24,168
  5. #5Angela23,361
  6. #6Michelle22,665
  7. #7Kimberly20,257
  8. #8Lisa18,139
  9. #9Stephanie15,775
  10. #10Nicole14,275
  11. #3,514Telly19

Top boys' names in 1975

  1. #1Michael68,418
  2. #2Jason52,159
  3. #3Christopher46,575
  4. #4James39,569
  5. #5David39,156
  6. #6Robert35,306
  7. #7John35,079
  8. #8Brian30,578
  9. #9Matthew28,527
  10. #10William25,561
  11. #480Telly277
More about 1975

girls

1,457,861 girls got a published name in 1975; 1 in 76,730 of them was named Telly, which outranked 66.9% of the 10,618 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Telly
  1. #3,404Xaviera20
  2. #3,404Zita20
  3. #3,404Zuleika20
  4. #3,514Telly19
  5. #3,514Abra19
  6. #3,514Adella19
  7. #3,514Aiesha19
  8. #3,637Aleesha18
  9. #3,637Allana18
  10. #3,637Amal18

Tied with 122 names at #3,514; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1974
Risers
  1. 1,732Pepper#2,683#951
  2. 1,666Mandie#2,396#730
  3. 1,140Tiana#1,772#632
  4. 779Lacy#1,486#707
  5. 719Lacey#1,284#565
Fallers
  1. 447Nia#672#1,119
  2. 429Alethea#716#1,145
  3. 404Cicely#608#1,012
  4. 307Elaina#994#1,301
  5. 303Cristin#938#1,241

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,561,357 boys got a published name in 1975; 1 in 5,637 of them was named Telly, which outranked 92.4% of the 6,337 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 25.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Telly
  1. #476Stephan282
  2. #478Hugh280
  3. #479Saul279
  4. #480Telly277
  5. #480Forrest277
  6. #480Leonardo277
  7. #480Teddy277
  8. #484Bart275
  9. #484Jamison275
  10. #486Kristian274

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1974
Risers
  1. 722Benjiman#1,692#970
  2. 702Marques#1,520#818
  3. 645Glendon#1,409#764
  4. 502Benji#1,124#622
  5. 471Regan#1,409#938
Fallers
  1. 905Toma#882#1,787
  2. 830Vashon#923#1,753
  3. 352Bruno#993#1,345
  4. 327Hollis#953#1,280
  5. 303Domenico#977#1,280

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1975