Girl name · Sanskrit
Tara
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a starTara is a girl's name that comes from Sanskrit and means "a star". It is used in Indian.
- Meaning
- A star
- Origin
- Sanskrit
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #847 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Tara
As a girl's name, Tara comes from Sanskrit and means "a star". It is used in Indian.
In Irish, say TAR-a. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Tara on our names that mean star list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Tara on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Tara on 5 lists.
“A star; astral goddess, also revered in Buddhism”
From Goddess names, hindu goddess names
“A short form taken from the start of the species name”
From Spider names, pet tarantula names
“Star; Sanskrit, also a Hindu and Buddhist goddess.”
From Indian names, female Indian names for girls
“From Teamhair, the Hill of Tara, seat of Ireland's high kings. Say TAR-a.”
From Irish girl names, irish place and word names for girls
“A star; Sanskrit, also a Buddhist goddess”
From Names that mean star, indian names from the stars
How popular is Tara?
- US rank in 2025
- #847
- 322 babies, 200 per million girls
- Best rank
- #35 in 1977
- Most babies: 7,234 in 1972
- Babies since 1939
- At least 175,812
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 1 per million |
| 1940s | 27 per million |
| 1950s | 165 per million |
| 1960s | 796 per million |
| 1970s | 4,211 per million |
| 1980s | 3,280 per million |
| 1990s | 1,298 per million |
| 2000s | 464 per million |
| 2010s | 166 per million |
| 2020s | 147 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,017 | #984 | #1,034 | #1,006 | #1,164 | #1,158 | #1,061 | #1,163 | #1,020 | #847 |
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.
Names spelled like Tara
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- AkhtarA star (Persian, unisex)
- AstraeaStar (Greek, girl)
- EstelaStar (Latin, girl)
- EstellaA star (Latin, girl)
- EstelleA star (Latin, girl)
- LeiaForm of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars (Hebrew, girl)
- MaristelaStar of the sea (Latin, girl)
- NajmuddinStar of the faith (Arabic, boy)
- NovaNew, a new star (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Tara
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- DaphneLaurel tree (Greek, girl)
- HollyHolly tree (Old English, girl)
- MagnoliaFlower named for botanist Pierre Magnol (French, girl)
- MarigoldMary's gold (English, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- PoppyPoppy flower (Old English, girl)
- RosamundHorse protection (Germanic, girl)
- SeraphinaFiery ones (Hebrew, girl)
More girl names from Sanskrit
- AryaNoble, honorable (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AadhyaFirst, primal (Sanskrit, girl)
- AarohiAscending, a rising musical scale (Sanskrit, girl)
- AbhaSplendor, light (Sanskrit, girl)
- AbhilashaDesire, wish (Sanskrit, girl)
- AditiBoundless, limitless (Sanskrit, girl)
- AishwaryaProsperity, power (Sanskrit, girl)
- AkankshaWish, aspiration (Sanskrit, girl)
- AmarjeetImmortal victory (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AmritImmortal, nectar (Sanskrit, unisex)
Tara: common questions
What does the name Tara mean?
Tara comes from Sanskrit and means "a star".
Is Tara a boy or girl name?
Tara is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Tara come from?
Tara comes from Sanskrit and means "a star". Today it is used in Indian.
How popular is the name Tara?
Tara ranked #847 in the US in 2025, with 322 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Tara?
Names spelled like Tara include Thea, Talia, Tamar, Tamara and Tanya.
What middle names go with Tara?
Middle names that flow well with Tara include Daphne, Holly, Magnolia, Marigold and Olivia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.