Tamura

A girl's name of Japanese origin with 193 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

A surname from Japanese.

Tamura is a girl's baby name of Japanese origin, derived from the elements ta meaning 'rice paddy' and mura meaning 'village.' As a surname it is well established in Japan; as a given name in the U.S. it reflects Japanese heritage and family tradition.

The name carries a pastoral serenity — evoking lush green fields and the quiet rhythms of rural Japanese life.

EtymologyShow more

Phonetically, Tamura belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their open, warm ending — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. At three syllables, it has a three-beat flow that carries a sense of formality and completeness.

Within the Japanese naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Japanese names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Tamura’s linguistic neighborhood.

At a Glance

193

Total births

Since 1958

1974

Peak

23 births

1958

First recorded

27 years of data

Compare Tamura with another name

Popularity Over Time

Tamura has 22+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1958.

First appeared: 1958Peak: 1974 (23 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Tamura
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1980s	11	#11113	▼
1970s	101	#6948	▲
1960s	66	#5647	▲
1950s	15	#5181	—

The Story of Tamura

A Gen X name

Peaking in 1974, Tamura is a Gen X staple. Girls named Tamura are most likely born between 1964 and 1984.

How rare is Tamura?

With fewer than 500 recorded births, Tamura is an exceptionally rare name — a one-of-a-kind choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1958, peaked in the 1970s with 101 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Tamura by the numbers

Would fill 4 school buses

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(22 years, 1958–1984)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Tamura
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1984	6	#10265	+1 (20.0%)
1980	5	#11961	0
1979	5	#11762	-2 (-28.6%)
1978	7	#8463	+2 (40.0%)
1977	5	#11107	-1 (-16.7%)
1976	6	#9131	-5 (-45.5%)
1975	11	#5468	-12 (-52.2%)
1974	23	#3095	+13 (130.0%)
1973	10	#5537	-2 (-16.7%)
1972	12	#4768	0
1971	12	#4780	+2 (20.0%)
1970	10	#5366	+5 (100.0%)
1969	5	#8548	-3 (-37.5%)
1968	8	#5592	-3 (-27.3%)
1967	11	#4273	+1 (10.0%)
1965	10	#4466	+4 (66.7%)
1964	6	#6687	-1 (-14.3%)
1963	7	#5833	0
1962	7	#5791	-5 (-41.7%)
1961	12	#3987	+5 (71.4%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tamura a boy's or girl's name?

Tamura is primarily a girl's name.

When was Tamura most popular?

Tamura reached its peak popularity in 1974 with 23 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Tamura?

Tamura is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 193 babies in the U.S. since 1958. Its peak was in 1974.

Explore More

By Length6-letter names By OriginJapanese names By EndingNames in -a TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1958–1984