Tam is of Irish origin, meaning 'gentle'. It's a unisex name, derived from the Irish word for 'gentle' which is 'tamhaigh'. Tam is also sometimes used as a short form of other names like Tamara, Tammy, or Thomas. In Scotland, it can be found as an affectionate diminutive of Thomas.
The name Tam experienced a significant peak in popularity between 1949 and 1959, with the highest number of births recorded in 1958 (34 births). However, after 1960, the frequency of the name Tam declined steadily, with fewer than 20 births per year from 1965 onwards. The most recent data shows that Tam is still being chosen as a baby's name, but at a much lower rate than in previous decades.