Meaning: Its source is an Old English expression meaning "Tata's homestead."

Popularity: The name Tatum ranked 396th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 3294th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: Tata was an Old English personal name, possibly meaning ''cheerful.''

The popularity of this surname as a personal name is probably due to the fame of actress Tatum O'Neal (born 1963).