Unisex name · since 1924
Tam
Since 1924, U.S. Social Security records show 987 babies named Tam, peaking in 1982. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,181 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,193 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 987
- born since 1924
- 1980s
- peak decade
Tam currently ranks #12193 among unisex names in America, with 987 babies recorded since 1924.
Social Security Administration records show Tam recorded 987 times among boys since 1924, holding rank #12193 nationally today, ahead of 12% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1924 to 2025.
- #5,181 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,193 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 987 born since 1924
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tam ranks #5,181 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,193 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 987 born since 1924, peaking in the 1980s.
- #5,181 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,193 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 987
- born since 1924
- 1980s
- peak decade
Tam's 987 recorded births place it above 88.6% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Tam compares
987 Top 32% higher than 68% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Tam's all-time total is 167% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tam | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 987 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 46 | 34 | 22,252 |
Tam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tam splits its recorded history at 1995: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1924 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1982 peak of 46 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tam popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1924–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 46
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Tam popularity over time - girls
902 total births recorded since 1944 (Tam as girls' name)
Tam by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (333 births, 34% of the file).
1980s was Tam's strongest decade.
333 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Tam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1940s 7
1940s
7 births
- 1950s 30
1950s
30 births
- 1960s 11
1960s
11 births
- 1970s 66
1970s
66 births
- 1980s
1980s
333 births
- 1990s
1990s
240 births
- 2000s
2000s
169 births
- 2010s 94
2010s
94 births
- 2020s 27
2020s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 333 births (34% of all-time use).
How Tam compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Tam's total volume
Tam by state
Where Tam concentrates geographically, total births since 1924
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 198 | 20.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 72 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.6% |
198 of 987 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tam? ▼
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What to do with Tam's data
- Tam's decade-level peak was the 1980s (333 total births); usage has since declined to 27 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Tams (198 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tam
Nearby Names Like Tam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tam
Compare Tam side by side: Tam vs Tamir Tam vs Tammy Tam vs Tamar
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tam
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tam: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1982)
Similar record span (~101 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1924–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Tam draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.