The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Tanya!

Comments and insights on the name Tanya: | Edit

Tanya is the English spelling variant of Tania/Tanja/Tawnia.

Personal experiences with the name Tanya: | Edit

My name is spelled Tanya....I have been called Tanya when I was younger and Tonya now that I am older. I really like both pronounciations....My name is pronounced the way it is spelt...TANya. My whole life I've been called 'TONya'!!! I've constantly corrected people...getting to the point where I just answer to both!
An experience from another Tanya: My name is pronounced Tawnya, but spelled Tanya-- and I've always had the opposite issues of course, being pronounced TAN-ya instead, and having to correct for it. I do believe that Tawnya or Tawnia is a better spelling to get the ah sound instead of the tan.... however, I personally have an extreme dislike for the Tonya varient of spelling as to me it looks as if it should be pronounced "Toe"nya instead of Tawnya.... I love my name.. but it is forever mispelled and forever mispronounced.

Nicknames for Tanya: | Edit

Tan, Tanny, Tawny, Tawn, TanTan, T, Yana

Meanings and history of the name Tanya: | Edit

1. Russian- Meaning the 'Fairy Queen'
2. I've actually done a lot of reading as to the orgins of Tanya. Of course, we do know that it comes from the pet name for the Russian Tatiana, however, I do have quams with it meaning "fairy queen"-- In Shakespears "Midsummers Night Dream" there is a Fairy queen named Tatiana- but there is no evidence that the names means fairy queen. In fact, to my understanding, the meaning of Tatiana is quite unsure. One source I've read did suggest that it dated back to Etruscan orgins and the surname Titus... but who knows?
3. I have had several Europeans ask me why may parents named me a "nickname", because they always thought that Tanya was a nickname to Tatiana and they were surprised that was not my real name.

Famous real-life people named Tanya: | Edit

Tanya Tucker, American country singer
Tanya Hughes, American high jumper
Tanya Roberts, American actress
Tanya Dziahileva, Belorussian model

Tanya in song, story & screen: | Edit

1. One of the mice in the kids movie 'Feivel Goes West' name is Tanya.
2. The two characters named Tanya in the movie Dr. Zhivago
3. A strawberry blonde part of the Denali coven in the Twilight Series.