Tanitra
A feminine name of Malagasy origin meaning "to consecrate, to sacrifice".
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Tanitra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tanitra today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tanitra births was 1976 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tanitra. 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 Tanitra. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1976
9 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1982 SSA rank
#9,130
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Tanitra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tanitra 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 20 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Tanitra remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tanitra 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 Tanitra 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 Tanitra
The name Tanitra is believed to have originated from the Malagasy language spoken in Madagascar. It is a feminine name that is thought to be derived from the Malagasy words "tanitra," meaning "beautiful," and "tra," meaning "superior" or "extraordinary." This suggests that the name Tanitra could be interpreted as "exceptionally beautiful" or "superior beauty."
The earliest known historical references to the name Tanitra can be traced back to the 16th century on the island of Madagascar. During this period, the name was likely used among the various ethnic groups that inhabited the island, such as the Merina, Betsileo, and Betsimisaraka people. However, specific written records or historical texts mentioning individuals with this name from that time are scarce.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tanitra is found in the 19th century, during the reign of the Merina Kingdom in Madagascar. Queen Ranavalona I, who ruled from 1828 to 1861, had a daughter named Tanitra Ramama. Princess Tanitra Ramama was born in 1829 and played a significant role in the royal court during her mother's reign.
Another notable historical figure with the name Tanitra was Tanitra Andrianampoinimerina, a distant relative of the Merina royal family. She lived in the early 20th century and was known for her philanthropic work and contributions to the education system in Madagascar.
In the late 20th century, Tanitra Rasolondraibe gained recognition as a prominent Malagasy author and poet. Born in 1957, she published several collections of poetry and novels that explored themes of identity, culture, and social issues in Madagascar.
More recently, Tanitra Holou, born in 1980, is a Malagasy-French actress and filmmaker. She has appeared in several French and international films and has directed several short films celebrating Malagasy culture and traditions.
While the name Tanitra is not as common outside of Madagascar, it has been embraced by some individuals of Malagasy descent or those with an appreciation for the Malagasy culture and language. However, it remains predominantly a name with origins and historical significance rooted in the island nation of Madagascar.
People
Tanitra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tanitra 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
Tanitra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tanitra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tanitra 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 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Tanitra a common name?
We classify Tanitra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 35 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tanitra most popular?
The single biggest year for Tanitra was 1976, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tanitra is about 48 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 Tanitra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tanitra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tanitra 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 Tanitra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tanitra 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 Tanitra 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 Tanitra?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Tanitra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.