Tamecka
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially from a blend of names.
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the first name Tamecka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tamecka today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tamecka births was 1975 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tamecka. 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
116
~ 1 in 2,954,779 Americans
Peak year
1975
23 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1987 SSA rank
#9,717
Tracked since 1971
Census
Tamecka in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 127 people with the first name Tamecka, which placed it at #49,170 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#49,170
National first-name rank
People counted
127
127 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
85.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tamecka
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tamecka is Black at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and White (3.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Tamecka described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Tamecka at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American85.8% · 109
- Two or more races7.1% · 9
- White3.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.1% · 4
Popularity
Tamecka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tamecka from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 82 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Tamecka remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tamecka 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 Tamecka 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 Tamecka
The given name Tamecka is believed to have its origins in the African continent, although its precise etymology is uncertain. Some scholars suggest that it may be derived from the Swahili word "tamka," which means "to speak" or "to pronounce." This linguistic connection could indicate that the name was initially associated with communication or self-expression.
In certain regions of West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Nigeria, variations of the name, such as "Tameka" or "Tamika," have been documented as early as the 18th century. These variations likely emerged from the blending of various African dialects and linguistic influences during the era of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Historical records do not provide definitive evidence of the name's appearance in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, its African roots and the cultural significance of naming traditions within various African societies suggest that the name may have held symbolic or spiritual meanings for the communities that embraced it.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tamecka was Tamecka F. Porter, an American author and educator born in 1962. Her works, which often explore themes of identity and cultural heritage, have contributed to the literary landscape and fostered greater understanding of African American experiences.
Another notable figure was Tamecka Dixon, an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. Her achievements as a sprinter and hurdler earned her recognition on the international stage and inspired many aspiring athletes.
In the realm of music, Tamecka Summerall is a renowned gospel singer and songwriter who has released several acclaimed albums since the early 2000s. Her powerful vocal performances and heartfelt lyrics have resonated with audiences worldwide, earning her a devoted following.
The name Tamecka also found its way into the world of fashion through Tamecka Hughes, an American model and actress who rose to prominence in the 1990s. Her striking presence on the runway and in various television roles showcased her versatility and contributed to the popularization of the name.
Tamecka Pierce, an American author best known for her fantasy and young adult novels, has gained a loyal readership through her captivating storytelling. Her works, which often explore themes of empowerment and self-discovery, have inspired countless readers and left a lasting impact on the literary landscape.
While the name Tamecka may have evolved and taken on various forms over time, its enduring presence across diverse fields and cultures serves as a testament to its rich heritage and the resilience of the communities that have embraced it.
People
Tamecka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tamecka 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
Tamecka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tamecka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 116 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tamecka 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 2,954,779 US residents.
Is Tamecka a common name?
We classify Tamecka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 127 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tamecka most popular?
The single biggest year for Tamecka was 1975, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tamecka is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Tamecka in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 127 people with the name Tamecka, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #49,170 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Tamecka in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Tamecka?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Tamecka appears almost entirely female. Of the 120 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Tamecka?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tamecka is Black at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and White (3.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Tamecka most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Tamecka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (109 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Tamecka in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tamecka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tamecka 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 Tamecka still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tamecka 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 Tamecka 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.
How many people have the name Tamecka?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.