NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Tesni

A feminine name of Welsh origin meaning "beautiful" or "lovely".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Tesni is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Tesni popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 17 births.

This profile covers 227 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 41% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 226 living people in the UK are called Tesni. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Tesni ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1998, when 17 girls were registered as Tesni.
  • About 226 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tesni as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3318

2024

Births in 2024

7

Latest year

Peak year

1998

17 births

Estimated living

226

2026

Meaning

What does Tesni mean?

The name Tesni is of Welsh origin, traced back to the early medieval period in the region that is now modern-day Wales. It is derived from the old Welsh words "tes" meaning warmth or heat, and "ni" meaning her or she, combining to form a name that means "her warmth" or "warmth of her".

Tesni was a relatively common name among Welsh women during the Middle Ages, particularly in the 12th and 13th centuries. While it does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name's etymology reflects the cultural values and linguistic roots of the Welsh people during that era.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Tesni was Tesni ferch Rhys (c. 1185 – c. 1245), a Welsh noblewoman who was the daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd, Prince of Deheubarth. She married Maelgwn ap Rhys, another prominent Welsh nobleman, and their union played a role in the political dynamics of medieval Wales.

Another notable historical figure named Tesni was Tesni ferch Llywelyn (c. 1230 – c. 1295), a Welsh princess who was the daughter of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd. She was married to Ralph Mortimer, an Anglo-Norman nobleman, and their descendants became influential figures in the Welsh Marches.

In the 14th century, Tesni ferch Dafydd (c. 1320 – c. 1380) was a Welsh heiress and landowner who inherited significant estates in Denbighshire and Flintshire. Her marriage to Ithel Vychan ap Ithel played a role in the consolidation of Welsh landholdings during that period.

During the 15th century, Tesni ferch Gwilym (c. 1420 – c. 1490) was a renowned Welsh poet and one of the few women poets of her era whose works have survived. Her poetry reflected the cultural and linguistic traditions of Wales and provided insights into the lives of medieval Welsh women.

In the 16th century, Tesni ferch Ieuan (c. 1510 – c. 1580) was a prominent figure in the Welsh gentry, known for her patronage of the arts and her support for the preservation of Welsh language and culture during a period of increasing English influence in Wales.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Tesni over time

The chart below shows babies named Tesni registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Tesni, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 17 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Tesni
0491317199620102024

Decades

Tesni by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tesni was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4020 21 4
2010s #3832 53 9
2000s #2221 99 10
1990s #1381 54 4

Related

Names similar to Tesni

FAQ

Tesni: questions and answers

How popular is the name Tesni in the UK right now?

In 2024, Tesni was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.

When was Tesni most popular?

The peak year on record was 1998, with 17 babies registered as Tesni in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Tesni?

A feminine name of Welsh origin meaning "beautiful" or "lovely".

How many people are called Tesni in the UK?

A total of 227 babies have been registered as Tesni across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.