Tae
A Korean name meaning "great" or "respectable person".
Name Census estimates that about 526 living Americans carry the first name Tae. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 81.0% of registrations being male. The average person named Tae today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tae births was 2000 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tae. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
526
~ 1 in 651,624 Americans
Peak year
2000
28 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,131
Tracked since 1952
Gender
Gender distribution for Tae
Tae leans heavily male at 81.0% of total registrations, but 103 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tae as a male name
- Ranked #12,131 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2000 (20 births)
Tae as a female name
- Ranked #19,728 in 2006
- 5 female births in 2006
- Peak: 1999 (12 births)
Popularity
Tae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tae from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 183 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tae by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Taes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tae
The given name Tae originates from the Korean language and culture. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla, which existed from 57 BC to 935 AD. The name Tae is derived from the Korean word "dae," which means "great" or "grand."
In ancient Korean texts and historical records, the name Tae was often used as a prefix or honorific title to denote respect, honor, and reverence. It was commonly attached to the names of rulers, nobles, and esteemed scholars. The earliest recorded example of the name Tae dates back to the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms period in Korea, written in the 12th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Tae. One of the most famous was Tae Gong-gil, a revered general and military strategist who lived during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392 AD). His brilliant tactics and leadership were instrumental in repelling foreign invasions and securing the kingdom's sovereignty.
Another notable figure was Tae Jong, the third king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897 AD), who reigned from 1400 to 1418. He is renowned for his efforts in consolidating the dynasty and establishing a strong centralized government.
In the realm of Korean literature, Tae Sahyo (1301-1382) was a celebrated poet and scholar during the Goryeo Dynasty. His works, including the anthology "Naehun," have been widely studied and appreciated for their artistic merit and philosophical depth.
Tae Geuk, a prominent Buddhist monk and scholar, lived during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392 AD). He made significant contributions to the development and propagation of Buddhism in Korea, and his teachings influenced generations of monks and scholars.
Lastly, Tae Hung-ga (1923-2011) was a renowned South Korean artist and calligrapher. His works, which combined traditional Korean aesthetics with modern techniques, gained international recognition and are celebrated for their unique style and artistic expression.
People
Tae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 526 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tae going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 651,624 US residents.
Is Tae a common name?
We classify Tae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 543 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tae most popular?
The single biggest year for Tae was 2000, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tae is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tae a male name?
Yes, 81.0% of people registered as Tae in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.