Boy · #3,879 in 2026

Tarek

Tariq is an Arabic word and given name.

Current Rank
#3,879
Peak Rank
#1,290 (1996)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
-20%
1962
First Year
2026
Last Year
1996
Peak Year
#1290
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
64
Years Active

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 →

Etymology
The word is derived from the Arabic verb .mw-parser-output .script-arabic{font-family:"Scheherazade New",Lateef,LateefGR,"Noto Naskh Arabic","Microsoft Uighur","Noto Sans Arabic","Arabic Typesetting",Amiri,"Sakkal Majalla","Harmattan","SF Arabic","Arabic Transparent","Times New Roman",Arial,Parastoo,Calibri,"Segoe UI","Microsoft Sans Serif","Droid Arabic Naskh",serif,sans-serif;font-weight:normal} طرق ‎ , ( ṭaraqa ), meaning "to strike", and into the agentive conjugated doer form طارق ‎ , ( ṭāriq ), meaning "striker". It became popular as a name after Tariq ibn Ziyad , a Muslim military leader

The Story of Tarek

Tarek first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1962, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 64 Tareks were born — ranking #1,553 that year. As of 2026, Tarek ranks #3,879 for baby boys with 29 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 2K Tareks have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
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RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
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VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
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KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

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

What does the name Tarek mean?
Tariq is an Arabic word and given name.
How popular is Tarek in 2026?
In 2026, Tarek ranks #3,879 among boys' names in the U.S., with 29 babies given the name that year.
When was Tarek most popular?
Tarek reached its peak popularity in 1996, ranking #1,290 that year with 64 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Tarek most popular?
Tarek has historically been most popular in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Tarek.
Is Tarek a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Tarek is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Tarek?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Tarek include Vardaman, Latroy, Kenta. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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

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.