Tait
A Scottish nickname derived from the Old English word "thwait" meaning "a clearing or meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 1,183 living Americans carry the first name Tait. It is a predominantly male name (98.7% of registrations). The average person named Tait today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tait births was 2007 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tait. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 289,733 Americans
Peak year
2007
44 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,221
Tracked since 1967
Gender
Gender distribution for Tait
Tait leans heavily male at 98.7% of total registrations, but 16 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tait as a male name
- Ranked #8,221 in 2024
- 10 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (44 births)
Tait as a female name
- Ranked #18,982 in 2013
- 5 female births in 2013
- Peak: 1996 (6 births)
Popularity
Tait: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tait from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 334 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
Tait 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 Tait during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Taits live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Minnesota, Utah recorded the most babies named Tait, while Utah, Minnesota, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tait
The name Tait has its roots in the Scottish Gaelic language, originating in the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "tāit," which means "pride" or "arrogance." The name was likely originally used as a descriptive nickname or surname for someone who exhibited a sense of pride or haughtiness.
In the 16th century, the name Tait was found in various Scottish historical records and documents, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Angus. It was often spelled as "Tate" or "Tayt" during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tait can be found in the Scottish Roll of Arms from the 16th century, where a family bearing the surname Tait is mentioned. However, there are no specific references to the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tait. One of the earliest was John Tait (1589-1644), a Scottish minister and author who served as the principal of King's College, Aberdeen. Another prominent figure was Archibald Campbell Tait (1811-1882), who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1868 until his death.
In the 19th century, Peter Guthrie Tait (1831-1901) was a renowned Scottish mathematical physicist and one of the founders of the modern mathematical theory of quaternions. He made significant contributions to the fields of thermodynamics and mechanics.
Another notable Tait was John Tait (1861-1932), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
In the realm of literature, Samuel Tait (1849-1920) was a Scottish writer and journalist known for his works on Scottish history and culture.
While the name Tait may have originated as a descriptive nickname or surname, it gradually transitioned into a first name in its own right, particularly in Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom.
People
Tait + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tait 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
Tait: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tait?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,183 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tait 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 289,733 US residents.
Is Tait a common name?
We classify Tait as "Rare". It ranks above 91.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,223 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tait most popular?
The single biggest year for Tait was 2007, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tait is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tait a male name?
Yes, 98.7% of people registered as Tait 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.