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    The first name Tamara

    A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “date palm”.

    Pronounced /təˈmɑɹə/ 3 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Hebrew origin

    Tamara means “date palm” in Hebrew.

    Of Slavic origin, mainly from Russian Тама́ра (Tamára), name of a 12th-century saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, cognate with English biblical Tamar, from Hebrew תמר (tāmār, “date palm”).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 39 girls were named Tamara, making it the 894th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 397 births (#116).

    0200400 1996200020052010201520202025
    3,444
    babies named Tamara, 1996–2025
    #894
    rank in 2025
    1996
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Tamara with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Tamara at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 111 girls born in the United States were named Tamara, the 1,816th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1970, when 4,721 were.

    02,5005,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    131,703
    babies named Tamara since 1880
    #1,816
    rank in 2025
    1970
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Tamara in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    塔瑪拉 /塔玛拉
    Tǎmǎlā
    Chinese
    თამარი
    tamari
    Georgian
    תמרה
    Hebrew
    Tamāra
    Latvian
    Тама́ра
    Tamára
    Russian

    Spelled Tamara in Esperanto, French, German, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish too.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Tamara

    • Tam

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Tamara

    54 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Tamara E. Jernigan
      Astronaut, born 1959
    • Tamara Bunke
      Argentinian revolutionary (1937–1967)
    • Tamara Taylor
      Canadian actress (born 1970)
    • Tamara Gverdtsiteli
      Georgian-Russian singer, actress and composer, born 1962
    • Tamara Csipes
      Canoeist, born 1989
    • Tamara Gee
      American pop singer, born 1972
    • Tamara Tyshkevich
      Belarusian shot putter (1931-1997)
    • Tamar Abakelia
      Georgian sculptor, theater designer and illustrator (1905-1953)
    • Tamara Tunie
      American actress (1959-)
    • Tamara Horacek
      French handball player, born 1995
    • Tamara Dobson
      American actress and model (1944–2006)
    • Tamara McKinney
      American alpine skier, born 1962

    More Hebrew girls’ names

    All 346 names of Hebrew origin

    Questions

    What does the name Tamara mean?
    Tamara means “date palm” in Hebrew.
    What is the origin of the name Tamara?
    Of Slavic origin, mainly from Russian Тама́ра (Tamára), name of a 12th-century saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, cognate with English biblical Tamar, from Hebrew תמר (tāmār, “date palm”).
    How popular is the name Tamara?
    In 2025, 39 girls born in England and Wales were named Tamara, ranking 894th. Its peak was 1996, with 397 births.
    What are nicknames for Tamara?
    Common nicknames for Tamara include Tam.
    Is Tamara a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 131,703 US babies named Tamara since 1880 were girls.
    When was Tamara most popular?
    1970 in the United States, when 4,721 babies were named Tamara, its highest rank at 79th.
    How do you pronounce Tamara?
    Tamara is /təˈmɑɹə/, 3 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Tamara?
    Tamera, Tamra, Kamala and Tamarah.