Tait
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- TAYT
- Origin
- Old Norse
Tait is a name of Old Norse origin, meaning “cheerful, glad”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Tait mean?
Old Norse: Scottish and northern English surname, from Old Norse Teitr
“cheerful, glad”
Archibald Campbell Tait, the first Scot to become Archbishop of Canterbury, bore this surname.
Is Tait a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Tait has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys.
How popular is Tait in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2014, with 13 boys.
Half of all the boys named Tait in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Tait in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | #4,346 |
| 2023 | 1 | #6,556 |
| 2022 | 3 | #5,017 |
| 2021 | 3 | #4,989 |
| 2020 | 4 | #4,025 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 8 | #2,576 |
| 2017 | 9 | #2,461 |
| 2016 | 10 | #2,287 |
| 2015 | 7 | #2,855 |
| 2014 | 13 | #1,834 |
| 2013 | 8 | #2,541 |
| 2012 | 10 | #2,230 |
| 2011 | 10 | #2,158 |
| 2010 | 10 | #2,141 |
| 2009 | 10 | #2,084 |
| 2008 | 6 | #2,906 |
| 2007 | 7 | #2,554 |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 6 | #2,545 |
| 2004 | 10 | #1,688 |
| 2003 | 1 | #4,616 |
| 2002 | 4 | #2,751 |
| 2001 | 4 | #2,714 |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
| 1999 | 1 | #3,925 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 3 | #2,979 |
| 1996 | 5 | #2,094 |
How popular is Tait in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2007, with 44 boys. It first appears in the records in 1967.
Half of all the boys named Tait in the US since 1880 were born between 1981 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
Tait in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | #7,760 |
| 2023 | 5 | #12,232 |
| 2022 | 9 | #8,293 |
| 2021 | 11 | #7,084 |
| 2020 | 9 | #8,062 |
| 2019 | 16 | #5,551 |
| 2018 | 8 | #8,813 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5,522 |
| 2016 | 14 | #6,048 |
| 2015 | 14 | #5,995 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5,729 |
| 2013 | 20 | #4,619 |
| 2012 | 21 | #4,530 |
| 2011 | 31 | #3,433 |
| 2010 | 32 | #3,376 |
| 2009 | 33 | #3,330 |
| 2008 | 38 | #3,056 |
| 2007 | 44 | #2,721 |
| 2006 | 43 | #2,697 |
| 2005 | 32 | #3,168 |
| 2004 | 28 | #3,364 |
| 2003 | 24 | #3,621 |
| 2002 | 26 | #3,344 |
| 2001 | 28 | #3,138 |
| 2000 | 33 | #2,731 |
| 1999 | 23 | #3,372 |
| 1998 | 24 | #3,187 |
| 1997 | 23 | #3,155 |
| 1996 | 24 | #3,016 |
| 1995 | 18 | #3,553 |
| 1994 | 17 | #3,745 |
| 1993 | 36 | #2,157 |
| 1992 | 25 | #2,741 |
| 1991 | 26 | #2,600 |
| 1990 | 18 | #3,303 |
| 1989 | 19 | #3,088 |
| 1988 | 14 | #3,518 |
| 1987 | 10 | #4,233 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 15 | #3,067 |
| 1984 | 8 | #4,549 |
| 1983 | 14 | #3,070 |
| 1982 | 14 | #3,107 |
| 1981 | 12 | #3,410 |
| 1980 | 17 | #2,728 |
| 1979 | 24 | #2,104 |
| 1978 | 28 | #1,834 |
| 1977 | 20 | #2,270 |
| 1976 | 28 | #1,780 |
| 1975 | 16 | #2,538 |
| 1974 | 36 | #1,439 |
| 1973 | 21 | #1,981 |
| 1972 | 31 | #1,535 |
| 1971 | 28 | #1,667 |
| 1970 | 20 | #1,988 |
| 1969 | 7 | #3,594 |
| 1968 | 15 | #2,108 |
| 1967 | 5 | #3,964 |
Names like Tait
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Tru Arjun Dhruv Rishi Avi Krish Tzvi Tristan Dakota Kash Veer Shiv
Names related to Tait
More Old Norse names
Freya Ronnie Ralph Eric Astrid Colby Rafe Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Tait: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/tait, updated 20 October 2026.