Tara
Tara is a given name with multiple meanings in different cultures.
- English
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Hindi
Meaning & Origin of Tara
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tara is a given name with multiple meanings in different cultures.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Hindi
- Nepali
- Persian
The Story of Tara
American parents first put Tara on the record books as a baby girl name in 1939, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 7,234 Taras were born — ranking #38 that year. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 37% of all recorded Taras. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,017 among baby girl names with 249 births, holding steady (+0%). In total, more than 176K Taras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Tara
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Tara. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Tara
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tara 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 Tara
What does the name Tara mean?
What is the origin of the name Tara?
How popular is Tara in 2026?
When was Tara most popular?
In which U.S. states is Tara most popular?
Is Tara a unisex name?
What names go well with Tara?
What are nicknames or variants of Tara?
About the name Tara
Tara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1939 and has accumulated 176K births in the dataset. Tara's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #35. Use the chart and map above to compare Tara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1972 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.