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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tamara

Tamara

♀ Girl

Pronounced tuh-MAR-uh /tə.ˈmæɹ.ə/Medium

Meaning: Date palmMedium

In 30 seconds: Tamara is a Russian form of a name meaning 'date palm'. It carries a warm, southern image of fruit and tree into a flowing three-syllable name.
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Origin MediumRussian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
MeaningDate palm
U.S. rank (2025)#1816 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births111 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1970
Total births (all-time)≈ 131,281

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197019172025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Tamara means 'date palm' and comes through Russian, where it has long been a favored name. It traces back to Tamar, the older form from which it grew, and it branches into spellings like Tamera, Tamra, and Tammara. The date-palm image gives it a sense of fruitfulness and grace.

The rolling -ara ending gives Tamara its gentle, even rhythm, while the trimmed Tamra shows the same name compressed. It is borne by actress Tamara Degtyaryova and actress Tamara Tunie.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Tamara is 'date palm', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Tamara — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

TameraTamraTammaraTamarTámara

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Tamara Degtyaryova (1944–2018)
    Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.
  • ★Tamara Tunie (1959–present)
    Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Tamara…

Tamar— The older form Tamara grew from, sharing the date-palm meaning.
Yelena— a fellow Russian choice
Irina— a similarly popular pick
Natalya— a similarly popular pick
Alyna— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Tamara

By themenaturerussianukrainian

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tamara mean?

Tamara is usually explained as meaning 'date palm' and is most often linked with Russian tradition.

How do you pronounce Tamara?

It's commonly said tuh-MAR-uh /tə.ˈmæɹ.ə/.

Is Tamara a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Tamara is used as a girl name.

How popular is Tamara?

In 2024, Tamara ranked #1757 in the U.S. for girls, with 115 births recorded.

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