diff --git a/src/earthkit/plots/sources/__init__.py b/src/earthkit/plots/sources/__init__.py
index 86263f3f..e93c9d1f 100644
--- a/src/earthkit/plots/sources/__init__.py
+++ b/src/earthkit/plots/sources/__init__.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 from earthkit.plots.sources.earthkit import EarthkitSource
 from earthkit.plots.sources.numpy import NumpySource
+from earthkit.plots.sources.tabular import TabularSource
 from earthkit.plots.sources.xarray import XarraySource
 
 
@@ -79,6 +80,8 @@ def _get_source_class(*args, data):
             cls = XarraySource
         elif isinstance(core_data, ek_data.core.Base):
             cls = EarthkitSource
+        elif core_data.__class__.__name__ in ("DataFrame", "Series"):
+            cls = TabularSource
     return cls
 
 
diff --git a/src/earthkit/plots/sources/tabular.py b/src/earthkit/plots/sources/tabular.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..551e7188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/earthkit/plots/sources/tabular.py
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+# Copyright 2024, European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from functools import cached_property
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from earthkit.plots import identifiers
+from earthkit.plots.sources.single import SingleSource
+
+
+class TabularSource(SingleSource):
+    """
+    Source class for tabular data.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    data : xarray.Dataset
+        The data to be plotted.
+    x : str, optional
+        The x-coordinate variable in data.
+    y : str, optional
+        The y-coordinate variable in data.
+    z : str, optional
+        The z-coordinate variable in data.
+    u : str, optional
+        The u-component variable in data.
+    v : str, optional
+        The v-component variable in data.
+    crs : cartopy.crs.CRS, optional
+        The CRS of the data.
+    **kwargs
+        Metadata keys and values to attach to this Source.
+    """
+
+    @cached_property
+    def data(self):
+        """The underlying xarray data."""
+        # Promote a column (e.g., pandas or polars Series) to a DataFrame
+        if len(self._data.shape) == 1:
+            return self._data.to_frame()
+        return self._data
+
+    def metadata(self, key, default=None):
+        """
+        Extract metadata from the data.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        key : str
+            The metadata key to extract.
+        default : any, optional
+            The default value to return if the key is not found.
+        """
+        if key == "variable_name":
+            # 2D data: use label of z column
+            if isinstance(self._z, str):
+                return self._z
+            # 1D data: use label of y column
+            if isinstance(self._y, str):
+                return self._y
+        return super().metadata(key, default)
+
+    @property
+    def _nrows(self):
+        return self.data.shape[0]
+
+    @property
+    def _ncols(self):
+        return self.data.shape[1]
+
+    def _column_values(self, name):
+        return self.data[name].to_numpy().squeeze()
+
+    @cached_property
+    def x_values(self):
+        # Column name specified explicitly or identified from standard set. Note
+        # that this means that identified columns take precedence over the index
+        # of a pandas DataFrame or Series.
+        if self._x is None:
+            self._x = identifiers.find_x(self.data.columns)
+        if self._x is not None:
+            return self._column_values(self._x)
+        # Table has an index (e.g., pandas.DataFrame)
+        if hasattr(self.data, "index"):
+            x = self.data.index
+            self._x = x.name
+            return x.to_numpy()
+        # Fallback: count upwards from 0
+        return np.arange(self._nrows)
+
+    @cached_property
+    def y_values(self):
+        # Column name specified explicitly or identified from standard set
+        if self._y is None:
+            self._y = identifiers.find_y(self.data.columns)
+        if self._y is not None:
+            return self._column_values(self._y)
+        # Single-column dataset
+        if self._ncols == 1:
+            self._y = self.data.columns[0]
+            return self.data.to_numpy().squeeze()
+        return None
+
+    @cached_property
+    def z_values(self):
+        if isinstance(self._z, str):
+            return self._column_values(self._z)
+        return None
diff --git a/tests/sources/test_tabular.py b/tests/sources/test_tabular.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51ea3e6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sources/test_tabular.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+# Copyright 2024, European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+try:
+    import pandas as pd
+except ImportError:
+    pytest.skip(
+        "skipping tests in sources/tabular (no pandas)", allow_module_level=True
+    )
+
+from earthkit.plots.sources.tabular import TabularSource
+
+
+def test_TabularSource_Series():
+    series = pd.Series([4, 5, 7])
+    source = TabularSource(series)
+    assert np.array_equal(source.x_values, [0, 1, 2])  # auto-generated index
+    assert np.array_equal(source.y_values, [4, 5, 7])
+    assert source.z_values is None
+
+
+def test_TabularSource_singlecol():
+    df = pd.DataFrame({"values": [4, 5, 7]})
+    source = TabularSource(df)
+    assert np.array_equal(source.x_values, [0, 1, 2])  # auto-generated index
+    assert np.array_equal(source.y_values, [4, 5, 7])
+    assert source.z_values is None
+
+
+def test_TabularSource_multicol_identification():
+    df = pd.DataFrame({"x": [3, 4, 5], "y": [4, 5, 7]})
+    source = TabularSource(df)
+    assert np.array_equal(source.x_values, [3, 4, 5])
+    assert np.array_equal(source.y_values, [4, 5, 7])
+    assert source.z_values is None
+
+
+def test_TabularSource_multicol_manual_2D():
+    df = pd.DataFrame({"foo": [4, 5, 6], "y": [3, 2, 1], "baz": [7, 8, 9]})
+    source = TabularSource(df, x="y", y="foo")  # override y-detection
+    assert np.array_equal(source.x_values, [3, 2, 1])
+    assert np.array_equal(source.y_values, [4, 5, 6])
+    assert source.z_values is None
+
+
+def test_TabularSource_multicol_manual_3D():
+    df = pd.DataFrame({"foo": [4, 5, 6], "bar": [3, 2, 1], "baz": [7, 8, 9]})
+    source = TabularSource(df, x="baz", y="foo", z="bar")
+    assert np.array_equal(source.x_values, [7, 8, 9])
+    assert np.array_equal(source.y_values, [4, 5, 6])
+    assert np.array_equal(source.z_values, [3, 2, 1])