Tara
Girl · TAH-ra · Irish
Big in Northern Ireland
Tara is a girls' name of Irish origin, meaning “elevated place”. In 2025 it ranked 442nd for girls in the UK (100 babies) and 844th for girls in the US (322 babies).
What does Tara mean?
Irish: from the Hill of Tara; separately a Sanskrit name meaning star
“elevated place”
The Hill of Tara was the seat of Ireland's high kings; Tara is also a Hindu and Buddhist goddess whose name means star.
- Say it
- TAH-ra
More on Wiktionary.
Is Tara a girl's or a boy's name?
Tara is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 100 girls in the UK and 322 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Tara in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #442among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 100about 1 in 2,800 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 4% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 100 girls in the UK were named Tara, making it the 442nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 529th. Its busiest year was 1998, with 541 girls.
It has been given to more girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more girls named Tara than any year since 2016.
Half of all the girls named Tara in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In 2025, 112 girls in the UK were given Tara or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #408, up from #442 for this spelling alone.
Among girls in 2025, it was 444th in England and Wales, 632nd in Scotland and 259th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1974 (#93).
Tara in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 100 | #442 |
| 2024 | 79 | #547 |
| 2023 | 71 | #587 |
| 2022 | 69 | #607 |
| 2021 | 69 | #607 |
| 2020 | 83 | #529 |
| 2019 | 81 | #551 |
| 2018 | 96 | #502 |
| 2017 | 83 | #566 |
| 2016 | 112 | #438 |
| 2015 | 94 | #502 |
| 2014 | 93 | #508 |
| 2013 | 121 | #400 |
| 2012 | 135 | #388 |
| 2011 | 115 | #433 |
| 2010 | 166 | #310 |
| 2009 | 162 | #315 |
| 2008 | 183 | #287 |
| 2007 | 195 | #274 |
| 2006 | 226 | #239 |
| 2005 | 246 | #217 |
| 2004 | 258 | #205 |
| 2003 | 286 | #187 |
| 2002 | 319 | #157 |
| 2001 | 359 | #144 |
| 2000 | 411 | #133 |
| 1999 | 460 | #122 |
| 1998 | 541 | #111 |
| 1997 | 515 | #109 |
| 1996 | 441 | #114 |
How popular is Tara in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #844among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 322about 1 in 5,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 322 girls in the US were named Tara, making it the 844th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,163rd. Its busiest year was 1972, with 7,234 girls. It first appears in the records in 1939.
2025 had more girls named Tara than any year since 2012.
Half of all the girls named Tara in the US since 1880 were born between 1974 and 1988, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 367 girls in the US were given Tara or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #741, up from #844 for this spelling alone.
Tara in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 322 | #844 |
| 2024 | 249 | #1,018 |
| 2023 | 208 | #1,162 |
| 2022 | 240 | #1,059 |
| 2021 | 212 | #1,153 |
| 2020 | 201 | #1,163 |
| 2019 | 257 | #1,004 |
| 2018 | 250 | #1,032 |
| 2017 | 265 | #983 |
| 2016 | 261 | #1,012 |
| 2015 | 301 | #911 |
| 2014 | 301 | #905 |
| 2013 | 282 | #906 |
| 2012 | 336 | #797 |
| 2011 | 303 | #863 |
| 2010 | 355 | #774 |
| 2009 | 425 | #687 |
| 2008 | 491 | #628 |
| 2007 | 581 | #538 |
| 2006 | 685 | #463 |
| 2005 | 929 | #340 |
| 2004 | 977 | #323 |
| 2003 | 927 | #336 |
| 2002 | 1,060 | #295 |
| 2001 | 1,159 | #273 |
| 2000 | 1,338 | #239 |
| 1999 | 1,393 | #231 |
| 1998 | 1,637 | #189 |
| 1997 | 1,768 | #172 |
| 1996 | 1,899 | #167 |
| 1995 | 2,023 | #158 |
| 1994 | 2,185 | #148 |
| 1993 | 2,476 | #132 |
| 1992 | 2,837 | #118 |
| 1991 | 3,326 | #104 |
| 1990 | 3,826 | #85 |
| 1989 | 4,370 | #70 |
| 1988 | 4,606 | #67 |
| 1987 | 4,446 | #69 |
| 1986 | 5,085 | #56 |
| 1985 | 6,102 | #51 |
| 1984 | 6,284 | #49 |
| 1983 | 6,272 | #51 |
| 1982 | 6,524 | #47 |
| 1981 | 6,366 | #45 |
| 1980 | 6,283 | #43 |
| 1979 | 6,806 | #38 |
| 1978 | 6,330 | #40 |
| 1977 | 7,198 | #35 |
| 1976 | 6,020 | #42 |
| 1975 | 6,455 | #41 |
| 1974 | 6,657 | #39 |
| 1973 | 6,707 | #37 |
| 1972 | 7,234 | #38 |
| 1971 | 6,336 | #49 |
| 1970 | 5,329 | #69 |
| 1969 | 3,520 | #107 |
| 1968 | 2,186 | #147 |
| 1967 | 1,288 | #229 |
| 1966 | 1,291 | #234 |
| 1965 | 1,168 | #250 |
| 1964 | 1,241 | #250 |
| 1963 | 1,128 | #262 |
| 1962 | 1,094 | #270 |
| 1961 | 943 | #300 |
| 1960 | 684 | #367 |
| 1959 | 610 | #383 |
| 1958 | 467 | #439 |
| 1957 | 463 | #436 |
| 1956 | 452 | #429 |
| 1955 | 432 | #423 |
| 1954 | 259 | #553 |
| 1953 | 151 | #742 |
| 1952 | 140 | #751 |
| 1951 | 99 | #920 |
| 1950 | 102 | #875 |
| 1949 | 90 | #934 |
| 1948 | 73 | #1,030 |
| 1947 | 46 | #1,356 |
| 1946 | 56 | #1,130 |
| 1945 | 28 | #1,542 |
| 1944 | 27 | #1,577 |
| 1943 | 24 | #1,750 |
| 1942 | 21 | #1,859 |
| 1941 | 14 | #2,271 |
| 1940 | 13 | #2,296 |
| 1939 | 7 | #3,427 |
Names like Tara
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Cara Jessica Erin Francesca Tabitha Alexandra Holly Michelle Melissa Lara Lisa Amber
Other spellings of Tara
Names related to Tara
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Aiden Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Ronan Connor Declan Casey Kennedy