Tenna

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Tenna

Pronounced TEN-uh /ˈtɛn.ə/High

Meaning: Tenna is a short form of Christina or Christiane (via Tina/Tena), used especially in Denmark and Scandinavia. Christina comes from Greek/Latin for 'follower of Christ, Christian'. Given as a name in its own right, Tenna carries that meaning.Low

In 30 seconds: Tenna is a short form of Christina (via Tina/Tena), a Danish and Scandinavian name meaning 'follower of Christ'. A vintage rarity, it peaked faintly around 1961 (said 'TEN-uh').

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Origin LowScandinavian, Greek

MeaningTenna is a short form of Christina or Christiane (via Tina/Tena), used especially in Denmark and Scandinavia. Christina comes from Greek/Latin for 'follower of Christ, Christian'. Given as a name in its own right, Tenna carries that meaning.

U.S. rank (1993)#13299 ↘ Falling

1993 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1961

Total births (all-time)≈ 559

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

Tenna is a pet form of Christina or Christiane, close kin to Tina and Tena, and especially at home in Danish and Scandinavian naming. Christina descends from Greek and Latin words meaning 'follower of Christ' or 'Christian'; Tenna keeps that meaning in a short, bright shape brought over by immigrant families.

In the U.S. it was always rare — a few dozen girls a year, with its faint high point surprisingly late, around 1961 — and it stayed a scattered, heritage-flavored choice. It reads as a genuine Scandinavian short form; unfamiliar to most Americans, it has stayed obscure rather than mainstream.

Did you know? In Denmark, Tenna is a familiar short form of Christiane or Christina — the same trimming that gives us Tina — carried to America by Scandinavian families.

Overall data confidence 45%

References — Tenna — short form of Christina/Tena (Danish/Scandinavian); 'follower of Christ'

Variations

TenaTinaThenna

Nicknames

TenTina

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tenna…

Tina— a near-twin short form of the same Christina root

Christina— the full name Tenna shortens, sharing its meaning

Lena— a fellow Scandinavian short form of a longer name

Greta— a like northern-European pet-form name of the era

Explore names like Tenna

By themerare vintage scandinavian short-form

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tenna mean?

Tenna is a short form of Christina (via Tina/Tena), from Greek and Latin roots meaning 'follower of Christ'.

How do you pronounce Tenna?

It's said TEN-uh /ˈtɛn.ə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Tenna a boy or girl name?

Tenna is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Tenna?

Tenna has always been rare in the U.S., a Scandinavian short form most seen in the mid-twentieth century.