Tamboura
Greek origin, meaning a type of stringed musical instrument.
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Tamboura. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 70.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Tamboura today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tamboura births was 1970 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tamboura. 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 Tamboura. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1970
10 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1973 SSA rank
#4,450
Tracked since 1970
Gender
Gender distribution for Tamboura
Tamboura is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 17 total registrations, 12 (70.6%) were male and 5 (29.4%) were female.
Tamboura as a male name
- Ranked #4,450 in 1973
- 7 male births in 1973
- Peak: 1973 (7 births)
Tamboura as a female name
- Ranked #9,177 in 1970
- 5 female births in 1970
- Peak: 1970 (5 births)
Popularity
Tamboura: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tamboura 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 Tamboura during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12 | 5 | 17 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tamboura
The given name Tamboura has its origins rooted in the ancient Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Sanskrit language. This name is derived from the word "tambura," which refers to a stringed instrument resembling a lute or a sitar, commonly used in traditional Indian music. The tambura provides a constant harmonic drone, creating a melodic backdrop for other instruments or vocalists.
Historical records indicate that the name Tamboura was present in various ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Upanishads. These sacred texts, which date back to around 1500-500 BCE, often referenced musical instruments like the tambura, highlighting their significance in the cultural and spiritual realms of the time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Tamboura was a renowned musician and composer from the 16th century CE. Tamboura Naik was a court musician in the Vijayanagar Empire, known for his contributions to the Carnatic music tradition. His compositions and performances played a pivotal role in the development and preservation of classical Indian music during that era.
In the 18th century, Tamboura Devi, a celebrated dancer and courtesan, gained recognition for her exceptional skill in the Kathak dance form. Born in Lucknow, she was highly acclaimed for her grace, elegance, and artistic prowess, influencing the growth and popularity of Kathak during her lifetime.
Another notable figure was Tamboura Goswami, a 19th-century spiritual leader and philosopher from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. His teachings and writings on devotional practices and the philosophy of bhakti (devotion) had a profound impact on the spiritual landscape of Bengal and beyond.
In the realm of literature, Tamboura Bandyopadhyay, a 20th-century Bengali author and poet, made significant contributions to the literary world. Born in 1898, her works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning her critical acclaim and a place among the prominent literary figures of her time.
Tamboura Mukhopadhyay, born in 1923, was a renowned Indian classical vocalist and exponent of the Patiala gharana (musical lineage). Her melodious renditions of khyal and thumri compositions garnered her widespread recognition, and she received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, for her outstanding contributions to Hindustani classical music.
People
Tamboura + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tamboura 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
Tamboura: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tamboura?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tamboura 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Tamboura a common name?
We classify Tamboura as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tamboura most popular?
The single biggest year for Tamboura was 1970, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tamboura is about 56 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 Tamboura in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tamboura a male name?
Yes, 70.6% of people registered as Tamboura 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.
Is Tamboura still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tamboura 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 Tamboura 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 common is the name Tamboura?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Tamboura, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.