Takarra
An Aboriginal name of Australian origin meaning "beautiful song".
Name Census estimates that about 45 living Americans carry the first name Takarra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Takarra today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takarra births was 1983 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takarra. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Takarra. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
45
~ 1 in 7,616,763 Americans
Peak year
1983
15 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2006 SSA rank
#10,538
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Takarra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takarra from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 31 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Takarra remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takarra 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 Takarra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Takarra
The name Takarra is believed to have originated from the Tuareg people, a nomadic Berber ethnic group found across the Sahara Desert region of North Africa, particularly in countries like Mali, Niger, and Algeria. The name is thought to have derived from the Tuareg word "takarra," which means "beautiful" or "precious." This linguistic connection suggests that the name's roots can be traced back to the ancient Berber languages spoken by the Tuareg tribes for centuries.
While the exact historical records of the name's origin are scarce, some scholars suggest that it may have been used as a descriptive name or a term of endearment within the Tuareg communities, referring to individuals with exceptional beauty or value. The nomadic lifestyle and oral traditions of the Tuareg people may have contributed to the limited written records about the name's early usage.
The earliest known references to the name Takarra can be found in the accounts of European explorers and travelers who encountered the Tuareg tribes during their expeditions across the Sahara Desert in the 19th century. One such explorer, German explorer Heinrich Barth, mentioned encountering a Tuareg woman named Takarra during his travels in the region in the mid-1800s.
Throughout history, the name Takarra has been borne by several notable individuals, though the records are limited. One such figure was Takarra bint Amir, a renowned Tuareg poetess and storyteller who lived in the late 18th century and was celebrated for her literary contributions within the Tuareg oral tradition.
Another prominent figure was Takarra al-Khayyat, a skilled weaver and textile artist from the Tuareg community in the early 20th century, renowned for her intricate and beautiful woven fabrics and tapestries. Her works were highly prized and sought after by collectors and art enthusiasts.
In more recent times, Takarra Ouedraogo, a Burkinabé human rights activist and advocate for women's empowerment, was born in 1968 and has been recognized for her efforts in promoting gender equality and education in West Africa.
Additionally, Takarra Ingram, an American singer and songwriter born in 1981, gained recognition for her soulful music and powerful vocals, blending elements of R&B, neo-soul, and jazz.
While the name Takarra may have originated in the Tuareg culture, its unique and melodic sound has captured the interest of individuals worldwide, leading to its adoption and use in various cultural contexts over time.
People
Takarra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takarra 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
Takarra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takarra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 45 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takarra 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 7,616,763 US residents.
Is Takarra a common name?
We classify Takarra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 47 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takarra most popular?
The single biggest year for Takarra was 1983, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takarra is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Takarra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Takarra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takarra in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Takarra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Takarra in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Takarra can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Takarra?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.