Girl · #1,751 in 2026

Tamara

Tamara is understood to mean "date", referring to the fruit of the date palm tree. In other words, the name carries the literal meaning of the sweet date fruit. This is not merely a coincidental interpretation as it is rooted in the Arabic language itself. The common Arabic word for dates is tamr (تَمْر), and its singular form tamra (تَمْرَة) means "a date (fruit)".

Current Rank
#1,751
Peak Rank
#63 (1970)
Total Babies
131K
5-Yr Trend
-2%
1917
First Year
2026
Last Year
1970
Peak Year
#63
Peak Rank
131K
Total Count
102
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Tamara

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

Tamara is understood to mean "date", referring to the fruit of the date palm tree. In other words, the name carries the literal meaning of the sweet date fruit. This is not merely a coincidental interpretation as it is rooted in the Arabic language itself. The common Arabic word for dates is tamr (تَمْر), and its singular form tamra (تَمْرَة) means "a date (fruit)".

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

The Story of Tamara

Tamara first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1917, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 4,721 Tamaras were born — ranking #79 that year. As of 2026, Tamara ranks #1,751 for baby girls with 117 births, holding steady (-2%). In total, more than 131K Tamaras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Tamara

Phonetically similar names — useful when Tamara 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 Tamara

What does the name Tamara mean?
Tamara is understood to mean "date", referring to the fruit of the date palm tree. In other words, the name carries the literal meaning of the sweet date fruit. This is not merely a coincidental interpretation as it is rooted in the Arabic language itself. The common Arabic word for dates is tamr (تَمْر), and its singular form tamra (تَمْرَة) means "a date (fruit)".
How popular is Tamara in 2026?
In 2026, Tamara ranks #1,751 among girls' names in the U.S., with 117 babies given the name that year.
When was Tamara most popular?
Tamara reached its peak popularity in 1970, ranking #63 that year with 4,721 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Tamara most popular?
Tamara has historically been most popular in North Dakota, District of Columbia, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Tamara.
Is Tamara a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Tamara is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Tamara?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Tamara include Sallie, Meghan, Myrtle. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Tamara

Tamara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 131K births in the dataset. Tamara's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #63. Use the chart and map above to compare Tamara'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.