Boy name · Aramaic
Tam
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a twinTam is a boy's name that comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". It is used in Scottish.
- Meaning
- A twin
- Origin
- Aramaic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #13669 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Tam
As a boy's name, Tam comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". It is used in Scottish.
Tam is also a surname: the 2,659th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 13,232 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Tam on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Tam on 3 lists.
“To talk or discuss; Cantonese spelling of Tan (谭)”
From Chinese last names, cantonese and Hokkien spellings of Chinese surnames
“The Scots short form of Thomas, hero of a famous Burns poem”
From Highland cattle names, scottish bull names for boys
“Scots short form of Thomas: a twin.”
From Scottish boy names, scots pet names for boys
How popular is Tam?
- US rank in 2025
- #13,669
- 5 babies, 3 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,408 in 1982
- 46 babies that year
- Babies since 1924
- At least 987
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 1 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 4 per million |
| 1980s | 18 per million |
| 1990s | 12 per million |
| 2000s | 8 per million |
| 2010s | 5 per million |
| 2020s | 3 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,085 | #8,073 | #7,081 | #9,637 | #7,440 | #13,845 | – | – | #12,185 | #13,669 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Tam
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Tam
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- TimHonoring God (Greek, boy)
- TalDew, morning dew (Hebrew, unisex)
- TaoGreat waves (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- TaeoGreat enlightenment (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- TahaThe letters ta and ha, opening Quran chapter 20 (Arabic, boy)
- TamerDate (fruit) (Arabic, boy)
- TamirTall (Hebrew, boy)
- TanoFrom Gaeta (Latin, boy)
- TarmoVigor, energy, drive (Finnish, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ThomasinaA twin (Aramaic, girl)
- BabiryeFirst-born of twin girls (Luganda, girl)
- FomaTwin (Aramaic, boy)
- KatoSecond-born of twin boys (Luganda, boy)
- NakatoSecond-born of twin girls (Luganda, girl)
- TamsinTwin (Aramaic, girl)
- TommieTwin (Aramaic, girl)
- TommyTwin (Aramaic, boy)
- WaswaFirst-born of twin boys (Luganda, boy)
Middle names for Tam
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Aramaic
- AkivaFrom Yaakov, holder of the heel (Aramaic, boy)
- BartholomewSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BartoloméSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BartolomeoSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BartoszSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BernabéSon of encouragement (Aramaic, boy)
- NehoraiLight, illumination (Aramaic, boy)
- SheragaLight, candle (Aramaic, boy)
Tam: common questions
What does the name Tam mean?
Tam comes from Aramaic and means "a twin".
Is Tam a boy or girl name?
Tam is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 5 girls and 5 boys in the US were named Tam, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Tam come from?
Tam comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". Today it is used in Scottish.
How popular is the name Tam?
Tam ranked #13,669 in the US in 2025, with 5 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Tam?
Forms of Tam with the same meaning and origin include Tàmhas (Scottish), Tavish (Scottish), Thomas (English), Tom (English) and Tomás (Irish).
What middle names go with Tam?
Middle names that flow well with Tam include Archer, Carlton, Christopher, Jonah and Porter. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.