Fun Facts About the Name Tell
- 206 babies named Tell: U.S. records list 206 babies given the name Tell from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Tell Mean?
The given name Tell has no securely established meaning. It is used mainly as a surname, and its use as a first name is a transferred surname use. The surname Tell has several proposed origins. In German and Swiss German, it may come from Middle High German telle, a word for a shallow valley, hollow, or flat piece of land, used as a topographic name. In English, it may derive from the Middle English personal name Telle, possibly a short form of Theobald. These explanations are not certain, and the surname also appears in Scandinavia and elsewhere with separate local origins. Because the given name is rare and usually taken from the surname, its meaning is best described as uncertain.
Tell Name History & Origins
The name Tell is far more common as a surname than as a given name. Its most famous association is William Tell, the legendary Swiss marksman and symbol of Swiss independence. The earliest surviving written accounts of William Tell are from the 15th century, including the White Book of Sarnen (c. 1470), and the story was later retold in ballads and in Friedrich Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell (1804). These are literary and legendary sources, not contemporary records of a historical person. The surname Tell is attested in German-speaking Switzerland and in other parts of Europe. In German-speaking areas it may have begun as a topographic name from Middle High German telle; in England it appears as a surname that may come from a Middle English personal name. As a first name, Tell is uncommon and is best understood as a transferred use of the surname. It does not have a long continuous history as a personal name in the way that many traditional given names do.
How Popular is the Name Tell?
Tell has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1988. Its best rank was #3,891 in 1988.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,182 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #9,739 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #10,681 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #10,677 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #12,072 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #7,977 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #13,841 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #12,002 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #10,632 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #9,505 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #10,635 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #14,278 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #13,807 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1999 | #11,427 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #11,131 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #7,885 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #10,172 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #7,682 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #6,171 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #5,888 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #6,354 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #7,809 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #3,891 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #4,546 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #4,805 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #5,101 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #4,917 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #6,315 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Tell Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Tell's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Tell's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.