Fun Facts About the Name Tab
- More than 1 thousand babies named Tab: U.S. records list 1,110 babies given the name Tab from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Tab Mean?
Tab is an English short form of Tabitha or Tobias, so its meaning depends on the full name behind it. Tabitha comes from Aramaic Ṭabītā (טַבְיְתָא), meaning "gazelle"; the New Testament Greek form is Tabitha, and the same passage gives the Greek equivalent Dorcas, also "gazelle." Tobias is the Greek form of Hebrew Toviyah (טוֹבִיָּה), usually understood as "Yahweh is good" (in customary English, "God is good"), from tov, "good," and Yah, a form of the divine name. The ordinary English word tab, for a flap, strip, or bill, is unrelated to these name meanings.
Tab Name History & Origins
Tabitha appears in the Acts of the Apostles (9:36) as the name of a Christian woman in Joppa; the verse adds that she was also called Dorcas. The Aramaic name behind the Greek form is Ṭabītā, and English Bibles transliterate it as Tabitha. Tab is a familiar English short form of Tabitha. Tobias is borne by the son of Tobit in the Book of Tobit; the name is the Greek form of Hebrew Toviyah. The name is familiar in English from the Book of Tobit, and Tab can serve as its shortened form. As a stand-alone English given name, Tab is generally a short form rather than a name with a separate etymology; the ordinary English word tab does not establish a distinct name history.
How Popular is the Name Tab?
Tab recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1957. Its best rank was #698 in 1957.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #13,796 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #10,589 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #7,866 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #7,698 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #8,574 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #4,448 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #6,336 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #5,540 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #4,419 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #4,203 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #4,797 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #6,437 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #4,906 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #6,129 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,544 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #7,155 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #3,588 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #3,786 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #4,514 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #4,124 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #5,518 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #3,915 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #3,805 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #4,019 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #2,233 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #2,271 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1970 | #1,575 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1969 | #1,854 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1968 | #1,777 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1967 | #1,230 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1966 | #1,146 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1965 | #1,089 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 1964 | #1,197 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 1963 | #1,089 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 1962 | #1,166 | 45 | 0.0022% |
| 1961 | #1,103 | 51 | 0.0024% |
| 1960 | #925 | 67 | 0.0031% |
| 1959 | #812 | 89 | 0.0042% |
| 1958 | #846 | 80 | 0.0038% |
| 1957 | #698 | 120 | 0.0056% |
| 1956 | #904 | 69 | 0.0033% |
| 1955 | #1,152 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 1954 | #2,306 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #3,763 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with T
Short Boy Names That Start with T
How the Name Tab Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Tab's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Tab's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.