Tara is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Tara means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Tara across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Tara has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Tara is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “hill, elevated place”. the seat of the ancient high kings of Ireland.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 176,355 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 5,152 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 698 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 625 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 7,100 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 503 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Tara per year, United States (1939 to 2025). United States peaked in 1972 (7,268/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1998 (466/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1987 (235/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2000 (49/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1998 (30/yr).
Tara has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1972, when it ranked #81 nationally (given to 7,425 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1970s.
Dora · Tori · Teri · Tyra · Tierra · Terra · Tory · Tre
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