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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tawni

Tawni

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Tawni

Pronounced TAW-nee /ˈtɔː.ni/High

Meaning: Tawni is a respelling of Tawny, the English color word for a warm golden-brown, from Old French tanné, 'tanned.' Used as a name it evokes that honeyed hue; the -i ending gives it a soft 1980s finish.Medium

In 30 seconds: Tawni is the color word tawny turned into a name (said 'TAW-nee') — a warm golden-brown, respelled with a soft -i.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningTawni is a respelling of Tawny, the English color word for a warm golden-brown, from Old French tanné, 'tanned.' Used as a name it evokes that honeyed hue; the -i ending gives it a soft 1980s finish.
U.S. rank (2011)#19327 ↘ Falling
2011 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1989
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,876
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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198919502011

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

Tawni comes from tawny, the English word for a warm golden-brown that traces back through Old French tanné, 'tanned.' It rose as a soft, sunny color-name in the 1970s and 80s, reaching its high point in 1989. A girl named Tawni then is now in her mid-thirties.

The name reads squarely of its decade rather than reviving, and its meaning is plain and pretty. Parents drawn to it often like other warm, two-beat names such as Tawny, Tanya, and Dawn.

Did you know? Tawni is the trendiest spelling of a color-name that briefly caught on, cresting in 1989 alongside Tawny and Tawnya.
Overall data confidence 65%
References — Tawni — Respelling of the color word tawny (OFr tanné); late-1980s peak

Variations

TawnyTawnyaTawnie

Nicknames

TawTawnie

Famous Bearers

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If you like Tawni…

Tawny— the standard spelling of the same color-name
Tawnya— a like elaborated spelling of the era
Tanya— a same-era soft two-beat girls' name
Dawn— a like warm one-word nature name of the time

Explore names like Tawni

By themerespellingnature1980scolor-name

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Tawni mean?

Tawni is a respelling of tawny, the English word for a warm golden-brown color.

How do you pronounce Tawni?

It's said TAW-nee /ˈtɔː.ni/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Tawni a boy or girl name?

Tawni is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Tawni?

Tawni was an uncommon color-name that crested in the late eighties and has faded since.

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