Tafari
Primarily a boy's name with 941 recorded births. Also given to 6 girls.
Meaning & Origin
Among U.S. boy's names, Tafari currently holds position #3760. It is known but far from saturated — a name that registers without repeating.
Appearing in records from 1978 to 2024, Tafari has a solid multi-decade track record without being a permanent fixture — it belongs to a specific chapter of American naming.
In the most recent SSA release, Tafari ranks #3760 among U.S. boy names — distinctive enough to stand out.
Tafari is a boy's and girl's baby name of Amharic origin, from the Ethiopian Amharic meaning 'one who is respected and feared' or 'awesome, fearsome,' derived from the verb fatara (to be feared, to be in awe of). Emperor Haile Selassie's birth name was Tafari Makonnen.
Haile Selassie — Ras Tafari before his coronation — became the spiritual figure at the center of the Rastafari movement, which gave the world reggae music, dreadlocks, and Marcus Garvey's Pan-African philosophy. Tafari carries this extraordinary legacy of dignity, resistance, and cultural revolution in a single, powerful name.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Tafari does not map cleanly to a single linguistic tradition in our records, which often indicates a name that has crossed cultural boundaries, been adapted between languages, or emerged from the blending that defines American naming.
Tafari’s 941 recorded births suggest it has found a niche — possibly within a specific cultural community, region, or naming subculture within the broader American landscape.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Tafari was #3442 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #3760, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 180 | #3434 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 244 | #4343 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 237 | #4149 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 189 | #3888 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 84 | #5077 | ▲ |
| 1970s | 7 | #4994 | — |
The Story of Tafari
A Gen Alpha name
Peaking in 2023, Tafari is a fresh, modern favorite. Boys named Tafari are most likely born between 2013 and 2024.
How rare is Tafari?
Only about 1 in every 120,000 babies born in 2024 was named Tafari — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1978, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 2010s with 244 births that decade, and remains solidly popular today.
Tafari by the numbers
- Would fill 20 school buses
- Meeting one Tafari per day would take 2.6 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(46 years, 1978–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30 | #3760 |
| 2023 | 51 | #2603 |
| 2022 | 44 | #2908 |
| 2021 | 31 | #3639 |
| 2020 | 24 | #4260 |
| 2019 | 28 | #3886 |
| 2018 | 18 | #5289 |
| 2017 | 23 | #4445 |
| 2016 | 39 | #3051 |
| 2015 | 22 | #4530 |
| 2014 | 28 | #3767 |
| 2013 | 26 | #3947 |
| 2012 | 20 | #4836 |
| 2011 | 18 | #5170 |
| 2010 | 22 | #4506 |
| 2009 | 11 | #7626 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4244 |
| 2007 | 26 | #3986 |
| 2006 | 29 | #3594 |
| 2005 | 21 | #4312 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Tafari as a Girl's Name
While overwhelmingly a boy's name, Tafari has also been given to 6 girls in the U.S. since 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tafari a boy's or girl's name?
When was Tafari most popular?
How popular is the name Tafari?
Can Tafari be used for both boys and girls?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1978–2024