Tin

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Tin

Pronounced TEEN /ˈtin/Medium

Meaning: Tin appears as a short, stand-alone name in more than one tradition: it is used as a nickname/short form of Martin or Valentin in Croatian and other South Slavic naming, and also occurs as a Vietnamese given-name element. Which route applies for U.S. bearers likely varies by family.Low

In 30 seconds: Tin is a short one-syllable name used as a Croatian short form of Martin or Valentin and also found in Vietnamese naming. In the U.S. it has stayed rare, peaking around 1993 (said TEEN).

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Origin LowVietnamese, Croatian, Uncertain

MeaningTin appears as a short, stand-alone name in more than one tradition: it is used as a nickname/short form of Martin or Valentin in Croatian and other South Slavic naming, and also occurs as a Vietnamese given-name element. Which route applies for U.S. bearers likely varies by family.

U.S. rank (2020)#13856 ↘ Falling

2020 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1993

Total births (all-time)≈ 436

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

Tin functions as a genuine short form in more than one tradition: Croatian and neighboring South Slavic families use it as a stand-alone form of Martin or Valentin, while it also appears among Vietnamese given names. Without a family's own background it is hard to say which route applies to any single U.S. bearer.

In American SSA records it has stayed a rare one-syllable name, given to about eighteen boys a year even at its peak around 1993, likely reflecting Croatian and Vietnamese immigrant naming rather than a single common source.

Did you know? In Croatia, Tin is a well-used stand-alone short form of Martin, not just a nickname - a pattern seen with other clipped European names.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Tin — Croatian short form of Martin/Valentin; also a Vietnamese name element

Variations

MartinValentinTinh

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Tin…

Martin— the full name Tin often shortens in Croatian usage

Valentin— another full name Tin can stand in for

Tim— a similarly short, crisp one-syllable boy's name

Kim— shares the compact one-syllable, cross-cultural short-name pattern

Explore names like Tin

By themeshort one-syllable uncommon vietnamese croatian

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tin mean?

It is most often a Croatian short form of Martin or Valentin, and also appears in Vietnamese naming; it carries no single fixed meaning of its own.

How do you pronounce Tin?

It is said TEEN /ˈtin/, one syllable, rhyming with 'seen' rather than the English word 'tin.'

Is Tin a boy or girl name?

Tin is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Tin?

It has always been rare in the U.S., given to about eighteen boys a year even at its peak in the early 1990s.