Tamar
Tamar is a female given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "date", "date palm" or just "palm tree". In the Bible, Tamar refers to two women: one is Tamar the daughter-in-law of Judah, and the other is Tamar the daughter of King David and full sister of Absalom. The latter was raped by her half-brother Amnon, leading Absalom to eventually kill him.
- Hebrew
- Georgian
- Biblical
- Biblical Hebrew
Meaning & Origin of Tamar
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tamar is a female given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "date", "date palm" or just "palm tree". In the Bible, Tamar refers to two women: one is Tamar the daughter-in-law of Judah, and the other is Tamar the daughter of King David and full sister of Absalom. The latter was raped by her half-brother Amnon, leading Absalom to eventually kill him.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hebrew
- Georgian
- Biblical
- Biblical Hebrew
The Story of Tamar
As a girl name
American parents first put Tamar on the record books as a girl name in 1915, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1977, when 133 Tamars were born — ranking #1,009 that year. As of 2026, Tamar ranks #2,318 for girls with 80 births, rising sharply (+16% over the past five years). All told, over 6K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Tamar as a boy name dates back to 1970, when 7 babies received it. 2000 was its biggest year on record, with 42 newborns named Tamar — #2,297 in the national rankings. About 28% of every Tamar on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Tamar last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 885 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Tamar
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Tamar. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Tamar
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tamar 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 Tamar
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How popular is Tamar in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Tamar most popular?
Is Tamar a unisex name?
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About the name Tamar
Tamar is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Tamar's peak popularity came in 1977 when it ranked #1,009. Use the chart and map above to compare Tamar's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1977 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.