girl's name
Tamara
tuh-MAR-uh (English)
- Origin Russian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 144,534
Scotland
#637
2024 births
Tamara means date palm, and the tree mattered more than the fruit — in the ancient Near East a date palm was a standing symbol of uprightness and fertility. It charts in six markets.
- Tamara is a name of Russian origin.
- Peaked in 1970, when 4,733 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 29,869 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1917.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Tamara Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 |
| 1920s | 30 |
| 1930s | 292 |
| 1940s | 2,365 |
| 1950s | 13,105 |
| 1960s | 39,116 |
| 1970s | 37,240 |
| 1980s | 21,344 |
| 1990s | 10,710 |
| 2000s | 5,106 |
| 2010s | 1,721 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 668 |
What Tamara Means
Tamara means date palm. The Hebrew tamar names the tree directly, and the name uses the word unchanged rather than describing a quality of the person.
Where Tamara Comes From
Tamara is the Russian and Georgian elaboration of the Hebrew Tamar, a date palm. Two women in Genesis and Samuel carry it, and both stories are difficult ones. The palm was a serious symbol: it grew where there was water, bore fruit for a century, and stood straight, so it stood for righteousness in Hebrew poetry — the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. Tamar of Georgia ruled as king rather than queen from 1184 and is the reason the name carries such weight in the Caucasus.
Tamara in Use
Tamara peaked in the United States in 1970, when 4,733 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 637th in Scotland on 5 births, 920th in England and Wales on 39, 1,121st in Ireland, 1,274th in France on 30 and 1,817th in the United States on 111, across 144,534 lifetime births in six markets. Every European market ranks it above America.
How Popular Is Tamara?
In 2025, Tamara was given to 111 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Tamara Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Tamara
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Tamara Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tamara over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Tamara
- English tuh-MAR-uh /təˈmɑːɹ.ə/
2 nicknames for Tamara
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Tamara in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Tamara
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Tamara — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Tamara
What does the name Tamara mean?
Date palm — the Hebrew tamar, used unchanged.
Why is a palm tree a name?
It stood for righteousness in Hebrew poetry — it grew where there was water, bore fruit for a century and stood straight.
Who was Queen Tamar?
The ruler of Georgia from 1184, styled king rather than queen, and the reason the name carries weight in the Caucasus.
How popular is Tamara?
637th in Scotland, its strongest market, and 1,817th in the United States.
Is Tamara a girl's or a boy's name?
Tamara is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Tamara?
Tamara has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Tamara?
Tamara is usually shortened to Tammy and Tam.
Is Tamara a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Tamara currently ranks #637 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.