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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tunis

Tunis

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Tunis

Pronounced TOO-nis /ˈtuː.nɪs/Low

Meaning: Tunis was a genuine Dutch given name, a short form of Antonius, the Latin name behind Anthony, and it was carried by Dutch American families for generations, especially in old New York and New Jersey communities. The same spelling is also the name of the North African city Tunis. For the American bearers here the Dutch Antonius route is the likelier one, with the place name noted.Low

In 30 seconds: Tunis is a rare boys' name, chiefly a Dutch short form of Antonius (Anthony), also shared with the North African city. It peaked softly in the early twentieth century (said TOO-nis).
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Origin LowDutch
MeaningTunis was a genuine Dutch given name, a short form of Antonius, the Latin name behind Anthony, and it was carried by Dutch American families for generations, especially in old New York and New Jersey communities. The same spelling is also the name of the North African city Tunis. For the American bearers here the Dutch Antonius route is the likelier one, with the place name noted.
U.S. rank (1954)#3796 ↗ Rising
1954 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1915
Total births (all-time)≈ 153

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191519131954

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

Tunis comes to American records mainly through Dutch heritage, as a short form of Antonius, the source of Anthony, used in Dutch communities of the Hudson Valley and beyond. It happens to share its spelling with the city of Tunis, which we note as a separate route without further comment. We keep the Dutch Antonius line as the likelier story.

Tunis appeared in small numbers in the early twentieth century, cresting around the mid-nineteen-tens as an inherited Dutch American name and fading by mid-century. A boy named Tunis then would be well over a hundred today, marking it a great-grandfather-era name.

Did you know? Among old Dutch American families, Tunis, from Antonius, was a settled first name passed down for generations well before it faded.
Overall data confidence 40%
References - Tunis — Dutch short form of Antonius (Anthony); also city of Tunis; Dutch route likelier. No political commentary.

Variations

TeunisTheunisAnthonisToon

Nicknames

ToonTunny

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tunis…

Otis— a like short vintage boys' name
Dennis— a comparable -nis ending name
Cornelius— another Dutch American classic
Buren— shares Tunis's Dutch roots
Merel— lands in the same popularity range

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tunis mean?

It is chiefly a Dutch short form of Antonius (Anthony); it is also the name of the North African city, a separate route.

How do you pronounce Tunis?

It is said TOO-nis /ˈtuː.nɪs/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Tunis a boy or girl name?

Tunis is used as a boys' name.

How popular is Tunis?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fourteen boys a year even at its peak in the mid-nineteen-tens, and never common.

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