Tara Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Tara

Tara is a multicultural name with different meanings and historical origins attached to it. In Irish, Tara refers to the archaeological site near the river Boyne called The Hill of Tara, which was the royal seat for the King of Ireland. Tara is a mountain located geographically in the western part of Serbia. It is also the name of a river flowing in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.

The name also has a Biblical connection, deriving from the Terah, father of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham in the Book of Genesis. As such, the name is a popular one within Judaism and Christianity. In addition, Tara is an important religious figure in Buddhism known as Tara Bosatsu in Japanese and Duōluó Púsà in Chinese. She is the female version of Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism and a female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism.

Tara is also a word from Sanskrit and means ‘star’ in various Indian and South Asian countries, symbolizing ‘light’ and ‘enlightenment.’ Tara is the Hindu Goddess’s name, the manifestation of Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, and one of the forms of Adishakti. She is worshiped mainly in the state of West Bengal in India.

Some popular variants of Tara include Tera, Terra, Tarina, Tarah, and Dara. Tara is accepted as a female name in Western societies, but several men also carried the name.

We can see that it is a popular name with different meanings worldwide. This trend also continues in fiction, as the title is routinely adopted owing to its popularity. For instance, Tara is the name of the O’Hara plantation in the classic 1939 film Gone with the Wind, which helped the name gain popularity in the United States during the 1970s.

Tara King is the name of the fictional character played by Linda Thorson from the famous television series The Avengers. She is known for her bravery, intelligence, and independent spirit.

Tara is a character from the TV series Sons of Anarchy, which features an outlaw motorcycle club in California. Tara Maclay is a character from the famous TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is the love interest of Willow Rosenberg, played by Amber Benson, who possesses great magical powers.

Tara

Meaning Star

Gender Girl

Religion Hindu

Origin Celtic, Gaelic

Lucky Number 4

Syllables Two

Length 1 word, 4 letters, 2 vowels, 2 consonants

Type Short and easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Tara?

Pronounced as ta-ra

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Tara in English.

Famous People With The Name Tara

Tara Andrews Australian association football player
Tara ProctorFormer English soccer player and captain for the England Women National Team
Tara ReidAmerican actress known for her movies like The Big Lebowski, Urban Legends and Van Wilder
Tara Sutton Canadian journalist and filmmaker, a pioneer in the field of video journalism
Tara SubkoffAmerican actress and director known for her movies like As Good As It Gets and The Cell

Tara On The Popularity Chart

The name Tara reached its peak popularity during the 1980s, and since then, its usage has steadily declined. Take a look at the graph below for more insights.

Popularity Over Time

The name peaked in popularity in 1982 when 6,524 babies per million shared the title, but it has been on a perpetual decline since then.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

The name enjoyed a good ranking during the 1980s and 1990s but has experienced a significant decline in its ranking since 2005. Refer to the graph below for a comprehensive overview of the name’s ranking over the years.

Source: Social Security Administration

Tara On MomJunction Popularity Chart

Know how popular the name Tara is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.

Names With Similar Sound As Tara

Tara is a two-syllable name that has many similar-sounding counterparts. Here are more names that share a similar sound to Tara.

Popular Sibling Names For Tara

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Tara, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Tara

Find matching brother names for Tara and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Tara

Looking for some suitable sister names for Tara? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With T

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter T to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Names With Same Meaning As Tara

Tara is a name with several different meanings attached to it. Below is a list of names that share similar meanings to Tara.

Popular Songs On The Name Tara

Song	Artist
Tara	Roxy Music

Acrostic Poem On Tara

Dive into the lyrical charm of the name Tara with this acrostic poem. Witness how each letter paints together a story, capturing the name’s individuality, strength, vitality, and sophistication. Inspiring, is it? Why not try a similar poem that describes what you think of your baby’s personality?

True and thoughtful, you are always helpful.

Adventurous and echoing the spirit of exploration.

Royal and regal, you are meant to soar high like an eagle.

Affectionate heart, you speak through loving actions.

Tara’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name tara. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Tula (Libra)
Starting letters for Tula (Libra) rashi	R, T
Representation	Balance
Element	Air
Ruling body	Venus
Quality	Movable

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Tula (Libra) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Chitra (Chitta, Chithira)	Libra (0 to 6.40 degrees)	Mars	Pe, Po, Ra, Raa, Ri, Ree
Swathi (Chothy, Chothi)	Libra (6.40 to 20 degrees)	Rahu	Ru, Re, Ro, Roo, Ta, Taa
Visakha (Vishakam)	Libra (20 to 30 degrees)	Jupiter	Ti, Tee, Too, Te, Tu, Tae, To

Infographic: Know The Name Tara‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Tara In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Tara in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Tara, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Tara	English	en
塔拉	Chinese	zh-CN
तारा	Hindi	hi
Tara	Spanish	es
Tara	French	fr
تارا	Arabic	ar
তারা	Bengali	bn
Tara	Portuguese	pt
Тара	Russian	ru
تارا	Urdu	ur
Tara	Indonesian	id
Tara	German	de
タラ	Japanese	ja
तारा	Marathi	mr
తారా	Telugu	te
Tara	Turkish	tr
தாரா	Tamil	ta
Tara	Vietnamese	vi
Tara	Tagalog	tl
타라	Korean	ko
Tara	Hausa	ha
Tara	Swahili	sw
Tara	Javanese	jv
Tara	Italian	it
ਤਾਰਾ	Punjabi	pa
તારા	Gujarati	gu
ทารา	Thai	th
ತಾರಾ	Kannada	kn
ታራ	Amharic	am
तारा	Bhojpuri	bho
Tara	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Tara In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

tara

In Sign Language

tara

In Braille Alphabet

tara

In Morse Code

tara

Name Numerology For Tara

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Tara, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Tara

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Tara and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Tara

Discover the presence of Tara in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
Tara vs Bilal	Tara ile Bilal, Tara vs. Bilal, Тара и Билал	2022
Niveer Aru Tara		2022
Raat Jaga Tara		2020
Tara Mira		2019
Chan Tara		2018
Tara's Footprint	La huella de Tara	2018
Ratri Shesher Tara		2017
Ek Tara	Ek Taraa, एक तारा	2015

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Tara?

The name Tara means ‘star.’

2. What is the origin of the name Tara?

Tara has a Celtic and Gaelic origin.

3. How to pronounce the name Tara?

Tara is pronounced as ta-ra.

4. Does the name Tara have any cultural or religious significance?

Yes, Tara has a biblical and Jewish connection as it is derived from the name Terah, the father of Abraham (1). In Hinduism, Tara is also the name of one of the forms of Goddess Adishakti (2).

5. Is Tara more commonly used as a girl’s or a boy’s name?

The multicultural name Tara is gender-neutral and is used for both girls and boys. With varied roots, the name has gone through several transitions, becoming relevant for both genders.

6. What are some positive qualities or characteristics associated with people named Tara?

According to numerology, Tara is most likely to be a friendly person to whom people are drawn. Bearers of this name can be patient and understanding. They are believed to be practical and stable, disciplined, and hardworking. However, not all people named Tara will have such qualities; people can have any positive or negative attributes regardless of their name.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Terah (Judaism).
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4529921/jewish/Who-Was-Terah.htm
Goddess Tara (Adishakti).
https://www.worldhistory.org/Tara_(Goddess)/

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