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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tamsen

Tamsen

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Tamsen

Pronounced TAM-suhn /ˈtæm.sən/Medium

Meaning: Tamsen is a Cornish contraction of Thomasina, the feminine of Thomas, which comes from the Aramaic te'oma meaning 'twin.' In Cornwall the long Thomasina was worn down in everyday speech to Tamsin and Tamsen, so the name carries the same 'twin' sense as its parent.Medium

In 30 seconds: Tamsen is a Cornish short form of Thomasina, feminine of Thomas, meaning 'twin.' Quietly used in mid-century America, it was never common (said TAM-suhn).
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Origin MediumCornish, English
MeaningTamsen is a Cornish contraction of Thomasina, the feminine of Thomas, which comes from the Aramaic te'oma meaning 'twin.' In Cornwall the long Thomasina was worn down in everyday speech to Tamsin and Tamsen, so the name carries the same 'twin' sense as its parent.
U.S. rank (2024)#17368 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1979
Total births (all-time)≈ 419

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197919432024

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

Tamsen descends from Thomasina, a feminine of Thomas built on the Aramaic word for 'twin,' and reaches English through the Cornish diminutives Tamsin and Tamsen. It shows up in United States records from the 1940s and drifts along quietly for decades, given to only a couple dozen girls a year even at its modest high around 1979.

A girl named Tamsen at that peak would be in her forties now, so it reads as a soft-spoken Gen-X rarity rather than a grandma name. With the Cornish Tamsin drawing fresh interest, Tamsen sits in genuine revival territory for parents after a vintage name that almost no one else is using.

Did you know? Tamsen is really Thomasina in Cornish work clothes: generations of Cornish families clipped the long form down to Tamsin and Tamsen for daily use before it ever reached American birth records.
Overall data confidence 60%
References - Tamsen — Cornish contraction of Thomasina (fem. of Thomas, Aramaic 'twin')

Variations

ThomasinaTamsinTamzin

Nicknames

TamTammySennie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tamsen…

Tamsin— the standard Cornish spelling of this same name
Thomasina— the long feminine of Thomas it shortens
Tabitha— a like soft two-part vintage girls' name
Rowena— a same-era gentle -en ending name

Explore names like Tamsen

By themerareenglishvintagecornish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tamsen mean?

It is a Cornish short form of Thomasina, the feminine of Thomas, from an Aramaic word for 'twin.'

How do you pronounce Tamsen?

It's said TAM-suhn /ˈtæm.sən/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Tamsen a boy or girl name?

Tamsen is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Tamsen?

It has always been rare, a mid-century Cornish import given to only a couple dozen girls a year even at its peak.

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