Tennessee as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Tennessee

What is the meaning of the name Tennessee ?

The baby name Tennessee is a Unisex name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced {'phonetic': 'TEN-uh-see', 'IPA': '/ˈtɛnəsi/'}.

Tennessee is English in Origin.

Tennessee derives from the name of a Cherokee town, Tanasi (also recorded as Tanase, Tenase), on the Little Tennessee River. The ultimate meaning is debated; suggestions include “meeting place,” “river of the winding/big bends,” or “where the water meets.” As a transferred toponym, it came into English via colonial records and became the name of the state in 1796.

As a given name, Tennessee has appeared in U.S. records since the 19th century, especially in the South, used for both sexes though rare. The playwright Tennessee Williams popularized the sound (his given name was Thomas). Contemporary visibility includes musician Tennessee Thomas and Reese Witherspoon’s son Tennessee James (2012). Variants are scarce; occasional spellings like Tennessy or Tennesee occur. Nicknames include Ten, Tenny, Tess/Tessie, Ness, and Essie.