How to say it
TA · tum
/ˈteɪ.təm/
Unisex
Tatum
Tata's homestead
What it means
Old English place name from Tata (a personal name) + ham ('homestead'). Originally a surname; Tatum O'Neal (the youngest competitive Oscar winner) anchored the first-name usage in the 1970s and 2000s.
Tatum is an English place name from Old English Tata (a personal name) + hām ('homestead'), giving 'Tata's homestead.' The surname has been used since the medieval period. Tatum O'Neal (the daughter of Ryan O'Neal) won Best Supporting Actress at age 10 for Paper Moon (1973), making her the youngest competitive Oscar winner ever — that brought the first name into wider US usage. Channing Tatum the actor (born 1980) keeps the surname in cultural circulation. As a first name Tatum surged in the US in the 2000s and is now firmly unisex. It's been in the US top 300 since 2003. Single short forms aren't common.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #189 in 2025, currently #189 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #195 in 2024, currently #202 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Tatum O'Neal's 1973 Oscar at age 10 (Paper Moon) brought the first name into US use; Channing Tatum's career keeps the surname in circulation.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Tatum O'Neal American actress, youngest competitive Oscar winner for Paper Moon (1973)
- Channing Tatum American actor, 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike (Tatum as surname)
Spelling variants
- Tatumn
Names with the same feeling
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