Tilar
A feminine name inspired by the Spanish word "tilo" meaning linden tree.
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Tilar. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 60.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Tilar today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tilar births was 1996 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tilar. 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 Tilar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1996
13 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2001 SSA rank
#12,150
Tracked since 1993
Gender
Gender distribution for Tilar
Tilar is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 33 total registrations, 13 (39.4%) were male and 20 (60.6%) were female.
Tilar as a male name
- Ranked #12,150 in 2001
- 5 male births in 2001
- Peak: 1996 (8 births)
Tilar as a female name
- Ranked #17,426 in 2000
- 5 female births in 2000
- Peak: 1993 (5 births)
Popularity
Tilar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tilar from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 23 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Tilar remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tilar 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 Tilar 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 Tilar
The name Tilar has its roots in the ancient Sumerian civilization, one of the earliest known civilizations in the world, dating back to around 3500 BCE. It originated as a derivative of the Sumerian word "tilaru," which meant "to shine" or "to illuminate." The name was often associated with the sun and its radiant energy, reflecting the central role of sun worship in Sumerian culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tilar can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a renowned Sumerian epic poem from around 2100 BCE. In this work, a character named Tilar is mentioned as a wise and revered figure, suggesting the name's potential association with wisdom and knowledge in ancient Sumerian society.
During the later Babylonian period, which spanned from around 1900 BCE to 539 BCE, the name Tilar continued to be used, though its meaning may have evolved slightly. In some Babylonian texts, the name is associated with the god Shamash, the sun god, further reinforcing its connection to light and celestial bodies.
Moving forward in history, the name Tilar appears to have been less commonly used during the classical Greek and Roman eras, with few recorded instances. However, it resurfaced in the Middle Ages, particularly in parts of Europe influenced by the Persian and Arabic cultures.
One notable figure bearing the name Tilar was Tilar ibn Abi Qurra, a renowned 9th-century mathematician and philosopher from Baghdad. He made significant contributions to the field of algebra and is credited with introducing the concept of algebraic notation.
In the 12th century, a Persian poet named Tilar al-Nishaburi gained recognition for his beautiful and intricate verses. His works celebrated the beauty of nature and love, and he was highly regarded during his time.
Another historical figure named Tilar was Tilar al-Dimashqi, a 13th-century Syrian geographer and traveler. His detailed accounts of his journeys across the Middle East and North Africa provided valuable insights into the cultures and landscapes of the time.
Fast forward to the 16th century, and we find Tilar Bey, a Turkish Ottoman statesman and military leader. He played a crucial role in the Ottoman Empire's expansion and is remembered for his strategic prowess and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, Tilar Mahmoud was an influential Egyptian writer and poet. Her works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, earning her widespread acclaim in the literary circles of her time.
While the name Tilar may have waxed and waned in popularity throughout different historical periods, it has maintained a connection to its ancient Sumerian roots, representing light, illumination, and knowledge. Its rich history spans various cultures and civilizations, making it a name with a truly global resonance.
People
Tilar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tilar 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
Tilar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tilar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tilar 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 Tilar a common name?
We classify Tilar 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, 33 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tilar most popular?
The single biggest year for Tilar was 1996, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tilar is about 29 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 Tilar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tilar a female name?
Yes, 60.6% of people registered as Tilar 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 Tilar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tilar 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 Tilar 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 share the name Tilar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.