Tara (name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tara (IPA pronunciation: Brit. /'tɑɹə/, U.S. /'tɛɹə/) is a female given name, most popular in the English-speaking world. It is also sometimes a nickname for Tamara, as an alternative to Tammy.

The name is somewhat dated in the United States, being most popular during the 1970s (a similar case with Tamara), but is still very popular in Australia. Its American popularity was probably due to Tara being the name of the family plantation in the movie Gone with the Wind. In Ireland, from 2000-2005 it has ranked between the 30th and 40th most popular girl's name.

While the name Tara is accepted as being exclusively a female name among western culture and is primarily used in this regard in the east, due to its connection to several goddesses it is sometimes also given to male Indian children.

[edit] Meanings in different languages

in Irish Gaelic it refers to the Hill of Tara, or Teamhair na Rí, the seat of the kings of Ireland from neolithic times (~5,000 BC) to the 6th cenutry or later. With this reference, Tara is taken to mean rocky pinnacle, hill or crag.

in Kurdish means : Star (Derived from Indian).

in Indian means : Goddess of the sea.

in Punjabi means : Star

in Sanskrit means : Shining. In Hindu mythology Tara is one of the names of the wife of Shiva.

in Scottish means : A hill where the kings met. (This may be a corruption of the Irish form).

In Buddhism Tara is a female Buddha, and is also a Hindu goddess.