Total births
131,286
Girls' name · since 1917
Tamara
Since 1917, U.S. Social Security records show 131,286 babies named Tamara, peaking in 1970. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1761
- among girls today
- 131,286
- born since 1917
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Tamara is the #1761 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 131,286 recorded since 1917.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tamara has been recorded 131,286 times among girls since 1917, currently ranked #1761 nationally and more common than 90% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #1761 among girls today
- 131,286 born since 1917
- 1960s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tamara is currently the #1761 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 131,286 born since 1917, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1761
- among girls today
- 131,286
- born since 1917
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Tamara vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1761
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Tamara was born in this single decade.
1970
Single peak year
4,721 babies were named Tamara in 1970 - its busiest year on record.
How Tamara compares
131,286 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Tamara's all-time total is 344x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tamara | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 131,286 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,721 | 48 | 19,840 |
Tamara's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Tamara's full recorded timeline at 1975, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1970 peak of 4,721 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Tamara at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1970
Current rank
#1,761
Active since
1917
Tamara popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1970)
- 4,721
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Tamara popularity over time - boys
417 total births recorded since 1957 (Tamara as boys' name)
Tamara by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Tamara's strongest decade.
39,006 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Tamara births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 30
1920s
30 births
- 1930s 292
1930s
292 births
- 1940s 2,365
1940s
2,365 births
- 1950s 13,091
1950s
13,091 births
- 1960s
1960s
39,006 births
- 1970s
1970s
37,076 births
- 1980s
1980s
21,235 births
- 1990s 10,695
1990s
10,695 births
- 2000s 5,101
2000s
5,101 births
- 2010s 1,721
2010s
1,721 births
- 2020s 668
2020s
668 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 39,006 births (30% of all-time use).
How Tamara 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 Tamara's total volume
Tamara vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Tamara by state
Where Tamara concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 15,984 | 12.2% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 8,285 | 6.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 7,252 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 7,155 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 7,072 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 6,703 | 5.1% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 5,322 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 4,493 | 3.4% |
California share of Tamara's total US births 12.2%
Even split
15,984 of 131,286 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Tamara appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tamara? ▼
Tamara has been given to 131,286 babies in the U.S. since 1917, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1761 as of the latest data. 4,721 babies were born in 1970, its single highest year.
When was Tamara most popular? ▼
Tamara was most popular in the 1960s decade with 39,006 total births. The single peak year was 1970.
Where is Tamara most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tamara are California (15,984 births), Ohio (8,285 births), New York (7,252 births).
How long has the name Tamara been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Tamara since 1917 -- 109 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Tamara? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tammy, Tami, Tammie, Tamika, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Tamara's data
- Tamara's decade-level peak was the 1960s (39,006 total births); usage has since declined to 668 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Tamaras (15,984 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Tamara
Nearby Names Like Tamara
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tamara
Tammy Girl
#4794 332,015 births
Tami Girl
#11244 37,927 births
Tammie Girl
35,380 births
Tamika Girl
22,760 births
Tamera Girl
#7312 14,282 births
Compare Tamara side by side: Tamara vs Tammy Tamara vs Tami Tamara vs Tammie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tamara
Leticia #1760
42,984 births · Peak 1980
Chevelle #1762
3,790 births · Peak 2019
Walker #1759
1,037 births · Peak 2022
Lainee #1763
1,559 births · Peak 2025
Estela #1758
9,147 births · Peak 2022
Elif #1764
1,534 births · Peak 2024
Leilah #1757
4,241 births · Peak 2010
Emry #1765
2,368 births · Peak 2017
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, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tamara: #1761 Girls' Name - 131,286 Births, Peak 1970." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tamara. 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 Tamara 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.