Tamar

Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars, including a daughter of King David and also Absalom's daughter, who is praised for her "fair countenance".

From its Biblical roots, it has a distinctive sound, being an iambic name, with the emphasis on the second syllable (tah-MAHR), however, it may also be heard as TA-MAR in Georgia and as TAHM-ahr in the UK and US.

The Russian form of the name, Tamara, has long outshone Tamar, but Tamar could feel fresher, given to around 80 American girls in a recent year. In Israel, however, it is one of the top ranking choices for girls. href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names there.

Tamar is also the name of a river in England, forming the border between the British counties of Devon and Cornwall. In this case, it would be pronounced TAY-mahr and likely gets its name from the River Thames, a name of uncertain origin, by likely linked to an ancient Celtic word for "dark" or "river".

Pronounced TAH-mar.

As of October 2026, Tamar ranked #2455 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1015 in 1977.