Girl · #13,520 in 2026

Tahina

Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, but more nutritious. The seeds are more commonly roasted than raw. Tahini can be served by itself, made into a salad dressing, or used as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, or halva.

Current Rank
#13,520
Peak Rank
#10,271 (1991)
Total Babies
53
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1978
First Year
2001
Last Year
1991
Peak Year
#10271
Peak Rank
53
Total Count
9
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Tahina

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, but more nutritious. The seeds are more commonly roasted than raw. Tahini can be served by itself, made into a salad dressing, or used as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, or halva.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Tahini is of Arabic origin and comes from a colloquial Levantine Arabic pronunciation of ṭaḥīna ( طحينة ), or more accurately ṭaḥīniyya ( طحينية ), whence also English "tahina" and Hebrew ṭḥina טחינה . It is derived from the Classical Arabic root ط ح ن Ṭ-Ḥ-N , which as a verb طحن ṭaḥana means "to grind", and also produces the word طحين ṭaḥīn , "flour" in some dialects . The word tahini had appeared in English by the late 1930s. In earlier English-language sources, it is referred to as "sesame butter" or "sesame seed butter".
Origin & history
The oldest mention of sesame is in a cuneiform document written 4,000 years ago that describes the custom of serving the gods sesame wine. Historian Herodotus writes about the cultivation of sesame 3,500 years ago in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq). It was mainly used as a source of oil . In the 10th-Century Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh , a recipe for ground sesame is mentioned, recipes call for its use as condiment or to be eaten with bread. Tahini is mentioned as an ingredient of hummus kasa , a recipe transcribed in an anonymous 13th-century Arabic

The Story of Tahina

Tahina first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1978, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 7 Tahinas were born — ranking #10,271 that year. As of 2026, Tahina ranks #13,520 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 53 Tahinas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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No data

Names that sound like Tahina

Phonetically similar names — useful when Tahina is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tahina

What does the name Tahina mean?
Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, but more nutritious. The seeds are more commonly roasted than raw. Tahini can be served by itself, made into a salad dressing, or used as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, or halva.
How popular is Tahina in 2026?
In 2026, Tahina ranks #13,520 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Tahina most popular?
Tahina reached its peak popularity in 1991, ranking #10,271 that year with 7 babies given the name.
Is Tahina a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Tahina is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Tahina?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Tahina include Jalinda, Adrin, Daedra. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Jalinda
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Adrin
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Daedra
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👧
Hakima
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👧
Marianthi
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👧
Nilaja
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Brittina
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Clancey
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About the name Tahina

Tahina is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1978 and has accumulated 53 births in the dataset. Tahina's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #10,271. Use the chart and map above to compare Tahina's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.