Given name & surname · also Japanese
Tama
“as precious as a jewel”·“a thunderbolt”
Tama is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “as precious as a jewel” and “a thunderbolt”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “as precious as a jewel” and “a thunderbolt”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Japanese and Native American naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1919. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tama through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,446
- 13 boys · 1,433 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 97 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 7 in 2018. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,588 as a first name in 2020; 260 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tama’s family of names
Tama has a related form in Tamar. Tama has a related form in Tamala. Tama has a related form in Tamah.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Tama
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tama, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hang
“of the moon”
>99% girls
Taini
“born during the returning moon”
25% boys · 75% girls
Alameda
“from the cottonwood grove” · “from the poplar tree”
>99% girls
Tansy
“an aromatic yellow flower” · “having immortality”
>99% girls
Yamka
“a budding flower; blossom”
>99% girls
Umeko
“one who is patient; a plum-blossom child”
>99% girls
Alaqua
“resembling the sweet gum tree”
>99% girls
Chula
“resembling a colorful flower”
23% boys · 77% girls