Given name & surname
Tamar
“from the palm tree”
Tamar is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “from the palm tree.”
Original Hebrewתמר
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “from the palm tree.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From Hebrew תָּמָר (tamár, “date palm, date”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Tamar appears in Matthew 1:3, 2 Samuel 13:14, 1 Kings 9:18.
- Matthew 1:3
- 2 Samuel 13:14
- 1 Kings 9:18
From biblical name research
Tamar through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,044
- 886 boys · 6,158 girls
- Most popular year
- 1977
- 149 babies
- 2025
- 73
- #2,455 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 6% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 73 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,455 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 133 in 1977. In 2025, New Jersey had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,142 as a first name in 2020; 96 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.
Tamar’s family of names
In Icelandic usage, Tamar has a related form in Tamara. In French usage, Tamar has a conventional equivalent in the Croatian form Tamara. Tamar has a related form in Tama.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Tamar has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
2 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Tamar
- Tamar BraxtonAmerican singerborn 1977
- Tamar KaprelianArmenian-American singer (b. 1986)
- Tamar ZandbergIsraeli politicianborn 1976
- Tamar NovasSpanish actorborn 1986
- Tamar EshelIsraeli politician (1920–2022)
- Tamar TumanyanArmenian architect1907–1989
- Tamar SlayAmerican basketball player (born 1980)
- Tamar GozanskyIsraeli politicianborn 1940
- Tamar ZieglerIsraeli mathematicianborn 1971
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tamar, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dara
“a wise woman” · “from the oak tree”
14% boys · 86% girls
Blimah
“one resembling a blossom”
>99% girls
Elana
“from the oak tree”
>99% girls
Hedasaa
“resembling a star”
>99% girls
Orinthia
“of the pine tree” · “a fair lady”
3% boys · 97% girls
Tina
Tina is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the river; also shortened torm of names ending in -tina.”
>99% girls
Lewana
“of the white moon”
>99% girls
Есфир
“star”
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