Total births
1,433
Girls' name · since 1919
Tama
1,433 babies named Tama in U.S. Social Security records since 1919, with the highest year being 1959. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 1,433
- total births
- 1919–2006
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
Tama sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 1,433 recorded since 1919.
Tama has 1,433 recorded births among girls since 1919, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2006.
- 1,433 total births
- 1919–2006 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 38% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,433 girls have been named Tama since 1919, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2006.
- 1,433
- total births
- 1919–2006
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Tama was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
97 babies were named Tama in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
Tama's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tama splits its recorded history at 1966: 35% of all births land in the more recent half, 65% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1919 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1959 peak of 97 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tama at a glance
Last recorded 2006Peak year
1959
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1919
Tama popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2006
- Peak year (1959)
- 97
- Annual births at peak, across 88 years of records
Tama popularity over time - boys
13 total births recorded since 2012 (Tama as boys' name)
Tama by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Tama's strongest decade.
540 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Tama births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 19
1920s
19 births
- 1930s 17
1930s
17 births
- 1940s 97
1940s
97 births
- 1950s
1950s
408 births
- 1960s
1960s
540 births
- 1970s 202
1970s
202 births
- 1980s 96
1980s
96 births
- 1990s 33
1990s
33 births
- 2000s 16
2000s
16 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 540 births (38% of all-time use).
How Tama compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Tama's total volume
Tama vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Tama by state
Where Tama concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 49 | 3.4% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 37 | 2.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 34 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 28 | 2.0% |
| #5 | California | | 25 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 7 | 0.5% |
Pennsylvania share of Tama's total US births 3.4%
Even split
49 of 1,433 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Tama appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tama? ▼
Tama has been given to 1,433 babies in the U.S. since 1919, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2006. 97 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Tama most popular? ▼
Tama was most popular in the 1960s decade with 540 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Tama most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tama are Pennsylvania (49 births), Oklahoma (37 births), Ohio (34 births).
How long has the name Tama been used? ▼
Tama has been recorded in Social Security data since 1919, spanning 88 years of data through 2006.
What names are similar to Tama? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tammy, Tamara, Tami, Tammie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Tama's data
- Tama's decade-level peak was the 1960s (540 total births); usage has since declined to 16 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Tamas (49 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tama
Nearby Names Like Tama
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tama
Tammy Girl
#4794 332,015 births
Tamara Girl
#1761 131,286 births
Tami Girl
#11244 37,927 births
Tammie Girl
35,380 births
Tamika Girl
22,760 births
Compare Tama side by side: Tama vs Tammy Tama vs Tamara Tama vs Tami
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1919–2006 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tama: Baby Name Since 1919 - 1,433 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tama. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Tama 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 June 2026.