Tara

At a Glance: Name: Tara – Meaning: named after the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of Irish kings (the place name's own root meaning is disputed); a separate Sanskrit-origin sense means 'star' – Origin: Irish (place name); also Sanskrit ('star') – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: TAIR-ah

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Tara is an Irish girl's name with a place behind it: the Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of Irish kings. You'll often hear that it simply means 'hill,' but that isn't confirmed, since the underlying Irish place name (Teamhair) is only known as the name of the royal site, not as the Irish word for 'hill.' Separately, Tara also exists in Sanskrit, where it means 'star.' It's pronounced TAIR-ah, and it has a classic, outdoorsy, nature-inspired feel.

Meaning & Origin of Tara

Meaning: Named after the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of Irish kings (the place name's own root meaning is disputed); a separate Sanskrit-origin sense means 'star'.

Origin: Irish (place name); also Sanskrit ('star').

A common claim: Tara is often said to simply mean 'hill' Actually: The literal meaning of the underlying Irish place name (Teamhair) isn't confirmed to be 'hill' — sources only identify it as the name of the hill/ancient royal site, not the Irish word for 'hill' itself.

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Tara

Phonetic: TAIR-ah   IPA: /ˈtɛrə/

Popularity of Tara

Tara peaked at #35 in 1977, when 7,198 baby girls were given the name. By 2024 it had slipped to #1021 with 247 girls, so it's now a familiar name that few classmates will share.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1939–2024.

Make Tara Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Tara, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Brennan
• Brigid
• Elodie
• Erin
• Fiadh
• Maeve

FAQ

What does the name Tara mean?

Named after the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of Irish kings (the place name’s own root meaning is disputed); a separate Sanskrit-origin sense means ‘star’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tara)

How do you pronounce Tara?

Tara is pronounced TAIR-ah (IPA: /ˈtɛrə/).

Is Tara a popular name right now?

Tara peaked at #35 in 1977 and is ranked #1021 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1939–2024.)

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