Tamell
Unisex name of French origin meaning "gentle".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Tamell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tamell today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tamell births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tamell. 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 Tamell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#10,082
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Tamell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tamell 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 Tamell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tamell
The given name Tamell is believed to have originated from an ancient Aramaic dialect spoken in the Middle Eastern region during the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the root word "tamal," which means "to ripen" or "to bear fruit." This suggests that the name may have been associated with fertility, abundance, or the harvest season.
In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as "Tammalu" or "Tamalu." Over time, as it spread across different cultures and regions, the spelling and pronunciation evolved, leading to variations such as "Tamel," "Tamelle," and eventually "Tamell."
The name Tamell doesn't appear to have any direct references in major ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, some scholars believe it may have been used in certain Middle Eastern communities during the Achaemenid Persian Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from modern-day Iran to Egypt between 550 BCE and 330 BCE.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tamell was a Persian nobleman and military commander who lived during the reign of Darius I in the 5th century BCE. Unfortunately, his full name and details have been lost to history.
In the 12th century CE, there was a notable Muslim scholar and philosopher from Andalusia (modern-day Spain) named Tamell ibn Rashid al-Qurtubi. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and Islamic jurisprudence.
During the Renaissance period, a Venetian merchant and explorer named Tamell Contarini (1455-1523) gained fame for his travels to the Far East and his accounts of the Ming Dynasty in China.
In the 17th century, Tamell Abdulrahman was a renowned Ottoman calligrapher and artist who was highly influential in the development of the Diwani calligraphic style.
Another notable figure with the name Tamell was a French painter and engraver, Tamell Leclerc (1688-1755), who was known for his portraits and historical paintings commissioned by the French nobility.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Tamell, showcasing its diverse cultural roots and global presence over the centuries.
People
Tamell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tamell 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
Tamell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tamell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tamell 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Tamell a common name?
We classify Tamell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tamell most popular?
The single biggest year for Tamell was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tamell is about 31 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 Tamell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tamell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tamell 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 Tamell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tamell 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 Tamell 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 have the name Tamell?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Tamell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.