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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tesla

Tesla

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Tesla

Pronounced TESS-luh /ˈtɛslə/High

Meaning: Tesla is the surname of the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla, adopted as a bright, modern girl's name. The family name itself is Serbian; as a first name it functions as a tribute to the pioneer of alternating-current electricity.Medium

In 30 seconds: Tesla (TESS-luh) is the surname of inventor Nikola Tesla used as a girl's name — an homage that surged as the Tesla name re-entered the culture.
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Origin MediumSerbian, English
MeaningTesla is the surname of the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla, adopted as a bright, modern girl's name. The family name itself is Serbian; as a first name it functions as a tribute to the pioneer of alternating-current electricity.
U.S. rank (2023)#8438 ↘ Falling
2023 U.S. births13 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2015
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,588

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201519852023

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

Tesla comes to first-name use through Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor behind alternating-current power. As a girl's name it reads as a tribute — crisp, two-beat, and science-flavored — rather than a name with its own ancient meaning.

Its 2015 peak makes Tesla one of the youngest names in this group; a girl named Tesla is likely still a child or teen. Its curve tracks renewed fame for the inventor and the visibility of the car company that borrowed his name. It reads modern and inventive, and remains an unusual, forward-looking choice.

Did you know? Tesla's high in 2015 lines up with the electric-car company's rise and a broad renewal of interest in Nikola Tesla, a rare case of a name lifted by a modern brand and a rediscovered historical figure at once.
Overall data confidence 68%
References — Tesla — Surname of Nikola Tesla used as given name; 2015 spike with brand/inventor fame

Variations

TesslaTezla

Nicknames

TessEssie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tesla…

Luna— a same-era short, bright science-and-sky name
Nova— another modern two-beat cosmic girl's name
Stella— shares the -a ending and starry feel
Mila— a like crisp, contemporary -a name

Explore names like Tesla

By thememoderntribute-namescience

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tesla mean?

Tesla is the surname of inventor Nikola Tesla, used as a girl's name in his honor; the family name is Serbian.

How do you pronounce Tesla?

It's said TESS-luh /ˈtɛslə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Tesla a boy or girl name?

Tesla is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Tesla?

Tesla was a rare tribute name that had its best year in the mid-twenty-tens as interest in the inventor and the brand rose.

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