Tam
An Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Tomás meaning "twin".
Name Census estimates that about 1,732 living Americans carry the first name Tam. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 52.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Tam today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tam births was 1982 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tam. 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
- • Tam sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
1.7K
~ 1 in 197,895 Americans
Peak year
1982
66 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,067
Tracked since 1924
Gender
Gender distribution for Tam
Tam is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,881 total registrations, 984 (52.3%) were male and 897 (47.7%) were female.
Tam as a male name
- Ranked #12,139 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1982 (48 births)
Tam as a female name
- Ranked #11,067 in 2023
- 9 female births in 2023
- Peak: 1959 (37 births)
Popularity
Tam: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tam from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 504 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tam 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 Tam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tams live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Tam, while Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 85 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tam
The name Tam has its origins in the Vietnamese language and culture. It is a shortened form of the Vietnamese name Tâm, which means "heart" or "mind". The name is believed to have been in use as early as the 11th century during the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam.
In Vietnamese, the name Tam is pronounced with a rising tone, which distinguishes it from similar-sounding names in other languages. It has no direct English equivalent and is a uniquely Vietnamese name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tam can be found in the 13th-century epic poem "The Tale of Kieu" by Nguyen Du, considered a masterpiece of Vietnamese literature. The poem features a character named Tam, who is a symbol of loyalty and devotion.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tam. One of the most famous was Tam Cam (1892-1963), a Vietnamese actress and singer who was a pioneer of the country's modern theatre and film industry. She is widely regarded as the "Mother of Vietnamese Cinema".
Another notable Tam was Tam Nguyen (1927-2019), a Vietnamese-American artist and painter known for his vibrant depictions of life in Vietnam. He was a prominent figure in the Vietnamese diaspora and played a significant role in preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture in the United States.
In the realm of literature, Tam Tran (born 1972) is a renowned Vietnamese-American writer and poet. Her works explore themes of identity, displacement, and cultural heritage. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to Vietnamese-American literature.
Moving to the world of politics, Tam Dalyell (1932-2017) was a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for over 50 years. He was known for his outspoken views on various issues and his staunch opposition to the Iraq War.
Another notable figure was Tam Dalyell (1615-1685), a Scottish general and nobleman who played a significant role during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the 17th century. He was a loyal supporter of the Scottish Presbyterian Church and fought against the imposition of religious reforms by the English monarchy.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Tam, showcasing its rich cultural heritage and diverse areas of influence.
People
Tam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tam 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
Tam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,732 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tam 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 197,895 US residents.
Is Tam a common name?
We classify Tam as "Rare". It ranks above 93.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,881 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tam most popular?
The single biggest year for Tam was 1982, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tam is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tam a male name?
Yes, 52.3% of people registered as Tam 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.