Tennis

Tennis is a highly unusual masculine name derived from the popular sport. The sport itself got its name from the French word 'tenez' (meaning 'take this' or 'here it comes'), which was called out by players when serving the ball. As a personal name, Tennis has been extremely rare throughout recorded history. It may occasionally appear as a family surname before being adopted as a given name. Parents who choose this distinctive name might have a strong connection to the sport, be looking for a conversation-starting name, or simply appreciate its unique sound. Despite its recognizability as a word, Tennis remains one of the rarest given names in use.

Pronounced TEN-is.

As of October 2026, Tennis ranked #3924 in US births in 1967 SSA, peaked at #2290 in 1926.