Tarek
Tariq is an Arabic word and given name.
- Arabic
Meaning & Origin of Tarek
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tariq is an Arabic word and given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Arabic
Etymology
The Story of Tarek
American parents first put Tarek on the record books as a baby boy name in 1962, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 64 Tareks were born — ranking #1,553 that year. About 24% of every Tarek on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Tarek ranks #3,879 for baby boys with 29 births, falling sharply (-20%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Tarek
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Tarek. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Tarek
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tarek is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tarek
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How popular is Tarek in 2026?
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About the name Tarek
Tarek is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1962 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Tarek's peak popularity came in 1996 when it ranked #1,290. Use the chart and map above to compare Tarek's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1996 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.