Tamala
An English feminine name derived from the Spanish word "tamal", meaning a traditional corn-based dish.
Name Census estimates that about 2,478 living Americans carry the first name Tamala. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tamala today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tamala births was 1971 (176 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tamala. 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
2.5K
~ 1 in 138,319 Americans
Peak year
1971
176 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2005 SSA rank
#18,888
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Tamala: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tamala from the 1950s through to the 2000s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 1,189 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tamala 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 Tamala during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tamalas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 25 states and territories. Ohio, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Tamala, while Kansas, Oklahoma, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 59 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tamala
The given name Tamala is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Sanskrit language. It is derived from the word "tamala," which means "lotus" or "lotus flower." The lotus is a sacred flower in Hindu and Buddhist cultures, symbolizing purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening.
While the origins of the name can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit texts, the earliest known recorded use of Tamala as a personal name is not well-documented. However, it is thought to have gained popularity in the Indian subcontinent during the medieval period, around the 10th to 12th centuries.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Tamala was a 12th-century Indian poet and scholar from the Vijayanagara Empire in present-day Karnataka, India. She was renowned for her contributions to Kannada literature and is considered one of the most influential female writers of her time.
In the 16th century, Tamala Devi was a prominent figure in the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, now located in the Indian state of Rajasthan. She was the wife of Maharana Pratap Singh I, a legendary Rajput warrior-king who fought against the Mughal Empire.
During the 17th century, Tamala Kali was a celebrated Bengali poet and songwriter who composed devotional lyrics and mystic poetry. Her works are still widely recited and celebrated in Bengal, especially during religious festivals.
In more recent history, Tamala Jones is an American actress and model, born in 1974. She is best known for her roles in popular television series such as Castle, Banshee, and Pitch.
Another notable figure with the name Tamala is Tamala Madlala, a South African politician and activist who served as the Deputy Minister of Health in South Africa from 2004 to 2008. She was born in 1953 and has been a vocal advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
People
Tamala + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tamala 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
Tamala: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tamala?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,478 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tamala 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 138,319 US residents.
Is Tamala a common name?
We classify Tamala as "Rare". It ranks above 94.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,873 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tamala most popular?
The single biggest year for Tamala was 1971, when 176 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tamala is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tamala a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tamala 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.
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.