Tamsin
A feminine name of Aramaic origin meaning "date palm tree".
Name Census estimates that about 399 living Americans carry the first name Tamsin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tamsin today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tamsin births was 2017 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tamsin. 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
399
~ 1 in 859,033 Americans
Peak year
2017
27 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,291
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Tamsin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tamsin from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 173 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Tamsin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tamsin 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 Tamsin 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 Tamsin
The given name Tamsin has its origins in the medieval French language, where it was derived from the name Thomasine, a feminine form of the name Thomas. The name Thomas itself has its roots in the Aramaic name Toma, meaning "twin."
The name Tamsin gained popularity in England during the Middle Ages, particularly in the 12th and 13th centuries. It was often used as a diminutive or shortened form of the name Thomasine, which was a common name among English women at the time.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Tamsin can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Tamesina," likely referring to a woman living in the region at that time.
In the literary world, the name Tamsin is associated with the character Tamsin Willoughby, a central figure in the novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy, published in 1891. This literary work helped popularize the name in the late 19th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tamsin. One prominent example is Tamsin Greig (born 1967), a British actress known for her roles in television shows such as "Green Wing" and "Friday Night Dinner."
Another notable Tamsin is Tamsin Blanchard (born 1976), a British fashion journalist and writer who has contributed to numerous publications, including Harper's Bazaar and The Telegraph.
In the realm of music, Tamsin Wilson (born 1969) is a British singer and songwriter who has performed with various bands, including Wilcox and The Rails.
Tamsin Merchant (born 1987) is a British actress who has appeared in films such as "Pride & Prejudice" and "The Tudors."
Lastly, Tamsin Egerton (born 1988) is a British model and actress best known for her roles in films like "St Trinian's" and "Camelot."
These are just a few examples of notable individuals named Tamsin throughout history, demonstrating the enduring popularity and legacy of this name with roots in medieval French and English cultures.
People
Tamsin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tamsin 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
Tamsin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tamsin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 399 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tamsin 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 859,033 US residents.
Is Tamsin a common name?
We classify Tamsin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 413 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tamsin most popular?
The single biggest year for Tamsin was 2017, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tamsin is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tamsin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tamsin 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.