Tauna

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Tauna

Pronounced TAW-nuh /ˈtɔːnə/Medium

Meaning: Tauna reads as a coined American name close to Tawna and Tawny. Tawny is an English color word for a warm golden-brown, from Old French 'tanne'; Tauna reshapes that sound into a name ending. It may also stand as a feminine of Tony or a simple invention. Because no single derivation is recorded, its meaning is best read as coined, echoing the tawny color word.Low

In 30 seconds: Tauna is a mid-century coinage, likely a variant of Tawna or Tawny, of uncertain origin. Genuinely rare, it stayed scarce in the United States (said TAW-nuh).

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningTauna reads as a coined American name close to Tawna and Tawny. Tawny is an English color word for a warm golden-brown, from Old French 'tanne'; Tauna reshapes that sound into a name ending. It may also stand as a feminine of Tony or a simple invention. Because no single derivation is recorded, its meaning is best read as coined, echoing the tawny color word.

U.S. rank (1999)#12572 ↘ Falling

1999 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1966

Total births (all-time)≈ 647

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Tauna is a coined name of its era, standing near Tawna and the color word Tawny, from the Old French for a golden-brown shade. American parents of the mid-century freely reshaped words and short forms into fresh girls' names, and Tauna reads as one of those inventions rather than a name with a documented root.

It was never common, appearing for only a couple of dozen girls a year around its faint peak near 1966 before fading by the end of the nineties. A girl given it then is in her late fifties now. It reads as a soft, of-its-moment coinage.

Did you know? Tauna sits right beside Tawny, the color word for warm golden-brown, though as a name it is really a sound-driven invention rather than a direct borrowing.

Overall data confidence 32%

References - Tauna — Coinage near Tawna/Tawny; routes uncertain

Variations

TawnaTawnyaTawnyTona

Nicknames

TawnNana

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tauna…

Tawna— the closest cousin spelling in sound

Tawny— the color word Tauna echoes

Dawna— a like made -na name of the era

Shauna— another warm -auna name in feel

Explore names like Tauna

By themeuncertain coinage vintage american

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tauna mean?

Its origin is uncertain; it likely echoes Tawna and the color word Tawny, which we note honestly.

How do you pronounce Tauna?

It's said TAW-nuh /ˈtɔːnə/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Tauna a boy or girl name?

Tauna is used as a girl's name.

Is Tauna a popular name?

No, it has always been rare, a coinage that peaked quietly in the mid-nineteen-sixties.