unisex name
Tatum
TAY-təm
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 43,950
the United States
#189
2025 births
Tatum is a name of Old English origin meaning "Tata's homestead." It is an English place name and surname, and its modern use as a girls' name in America traces to Tatum O'Neal winning an Oscar at ten.
- Tatum is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 3,397 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 976 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1966.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Tatum over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 640 |
| 1980s | 793 |
| 1990s | 3,048 |
| 2000s | 9,115 |
| 2010s | 13,021 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,252 |
What Tatum means
Tatum means the homestead of Tata. The first element is a personal name of unknown meaning and the second is ham, a settlement — so the widely given "cheerful" is not derivable from either part.
Where Tatum comes from
Tatum comes from an English place name combining the Old English personal name Tata, whose own meaning is not recoverable, with ham, a homestead. Families took it as a surname. The reading cheerful, which most reference works give, appears to be invented — it has no basis in either element. The name's modern use follows Tatum O'Neal, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1974 at the age of ten, still the youngest competitive Oscar winner. Art Tatum, the jazz pianist, carried the surname.
Tatum in use
Our data records Tatum for both sexes and shows it peaking in 2025 and still rising, and it first appears in our records in 1966. Its American use is predominantly female following O'Neal, while the surname it comes from is English — the same transatlantic split our Sloane and Piper entries describe.
How popular is Tatum?
In 2025, Tatum was given to 3,397 babies in the United States, ranking #189 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Tatum 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 Tatum
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Tatum also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tatum over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Tatum
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.
Tatum 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 Tatum
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Tatum — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Tatum
What does the name Tatum mean?
Tatum means "Tata's homestead," from an Old English place name.
Does Tatum mean cheerful?
No. That reading is widely repeated but has no basis in either element of the place name.
Is Tatum a boy's or a girl's name?
Both, though American use is predominantly female following Tatum O'Neal's 1974 Oscar.
How popular is the name Tatum?
In 2025, Tatum was given to 3,397 babies in the United States, ranking #189 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Tatum?
Tatum has 2 syllables.
When was Tatum most popular?
Tatum peaked in 2025, when 3,397 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Tatum?
Tatum is usually shortened to Tate and Tay.
Is Tatum a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Tatum currently ranks #189 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.