Tammara is an English variant of Tamara. The name Tamara itself is a Russian form of Tamar, which means palm tree in Hebrew, appearing in the Bible as the name of several women, including Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah.
Etymology and History
The name Tamara was popularized in the English-speaking world by Russian performers such as ballerina Tamara Karsavina (1885–1978), singer Tamara Drasin (1905–1943), dancer Tamara Geva (1907–1997), and ballerina Tamara Toumanova (1919–1996). Another famous bearer was Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898–1980). The name experienced rapid growth in the United States starting in 1957. As a variant, Tammara emerged as an alternative spelling, likely influenced by the diminutive forms Tammi and Tammie.
Related Forms
Variants of Tamara include Tamera and Tamra. Diminutives such as Tami, Tammy are common. In other languages, the name appears as Tamara (Ukrainian), Tamar (Hebrew), Thamar (Biblical Latin), Themar (Biblical Greek), Taia (Georgian), and Tamāra (Latvian).
Notable Bearer
One notable bearer of the Tammara spelling is Tammara Thibeault (born 1996), a Canadian professional boxer. She won a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as a World Championship gold in 2022. Her achievements have brought visibility to this variant spelling.
Key Facts
- Meaning: Palm tree (derived from Hebrew Tamar)
- Origin: English variant of Russian Tamara
- Type: First name (female)
- Usage Regions: English-speaking countries, especially United States since the mid-20th century
Sources: Wikipedia — Tammara Thibeault