Given name & surname
Tatum
“bringer of joy; spirited”
Tatum is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “bringer of joy; spirited.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “bringer of joy; spirited.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1966. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tatum through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 41,874
- 13,225 boys · 28,649 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 3,397 babies
- 2025
- 3,397
- #202 for boys · #189 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +108%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 47% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,736 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 202 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 168.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 1,661 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (135). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 24,725 as a first name in 2020; 23,395 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.
Tatum’s family of names
Tatum has a related form in Tatem. Tatum has a related form in Tatam. Tatum has a related form in Tatim.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Tatum
- Tate McRaeCanadian singer, songwriter, and dancerborn 2003
- Tatum O'NealAmerican actress (born 1963)
- Tatum Keshwarfashion model, psychologist and beauty pageant titleholderborn 1983
- Tatum McCannAmerican actressborn 1999
- Tatum DageletDutch actor, television presenter and presenter (born 1975)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tatum, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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