Given name & surname · also Hebrew
Tamara
“date palm”·“from the palm tree”·“a spice”
Tamara is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “date palm”, “from the palm tree”, and “a spice”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original Hebrewתמרה
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “date palm”, “from the palm tree”, and “a spice”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Hebrew, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
In Italian usage, Tamara is a feminine form of Tammaro.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1917. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tamara through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 131,703
- 417 boys · 131,286 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 4,733 babies
- 2025
- 111
- #1,816 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −12%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 111 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,816 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 12.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 4,721 in 1970. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (15). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 128,711 as a first name in 2020; 237 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.
Tamara’s family of names
In English usage, Tamara has a diminutive in Tammy. In Italian usage, Tamara is a feminine form of Tammaro. Tamara has a related form in Tami.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Tamara has relatives in 20 languages. Lines run from its Sanskrit roots to each of them.
30 related names in 20 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 62
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Tamarvariant · Icelandic, German
- Tamiavariant
- Tammydiminutive · English
- Tamarivariant
- Tameravariant · English, German
- Tamivariant · Hungarian, Czech
- Tamdiminutive · English
- Kamalavariant · English
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Tamiyavariant
- Tamyavariant
- Tamyravariant
- Tamervariant
- Tamariavariant
- Tamarahvariant · English
- Tamrynvariant
- Tamilynvariant
- Tameiavariant
- Tamlynvariant
- Tammeevariant
- Tammeyvariant
- Tameyvariant
- Tameevariant
- Tamievariant
- Tamyvariant
- Tamijovariant
- Tamarshavariant
- Tamiriavariant
- Tamirravariant
- Tamiravariant · German
- Tammravariant
- Tamravariant · German
- Tamyriavariant
- Tamoyavariant
- Tammeravariant · German
- Tameriavariant
- Tamareevariant
- Tamaraevariant
- Timeravariant
- Tamerravariant
- Tomaravariant
- Tymaravariant
- Tamuravariant
- Tamarievariant
- Temaravariant
- Tamoravariant · German
- Tammaravariant · German
- Tamairavariant
- Tamaryavariant
- Tamarravariant
- Tamarlavariant
- Tameranvariant
- Tameraivariant
- Tamourvariant
- Tamorvariant
- Tamareyvariant
- Tamaryvariant · German
- Tamāravariant · Latvian
- ungarischendiminutive · German
- russischendiminutive · German
- kroatischendiminutive · German
And 2 more.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- תמרהHebrew
- תמרHebrew
- תָמָרָהHebrew
- ThamaraLatin
- ThamarLatin
- 塔瑪拉borrowing · Chinese
- თამარიGeorgian
- Тама́раRussian
Show 2 moreShow fewer
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Tamara
- Tamara de LempickaPolish painter (1894-1980)1898–1980
- Tamara KarsavinaRussian ballet dancer1885–1978
- Tamara TodevskaMacedonian singerborn 1985
- Tamara SmirnovaRussian astronomer (1935-2001)
- Tamara PressSoviet track-and-field athlete (1937-2021)
- Tamara E. Jerniganastronautborn 1959
- Tamara BykovaSoviet high jumperborn 1958
- Tamara TaylorCanadian actress (born 1970)
- Tamara ŽivkovićMontenegrin singer (born 2000)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Tamara, 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
Somatra
“of the excellent moon”
6% boys · 94% girls
Savarna
“daughter of the ocean”
>99% girls
Lewana
“of the white moon”
>99% girls
Hedasaa
“resembling a star”
>99% girls
Kumuda
“resembling a flower”
5% boys · 95% girls
Pausha
“resembling the moon”
4% boys · 96% girls
Blimah
“one resembling a blossom”
>99% girls