Boy · #3,465 in 2026

Tarik

Tariq is an Arabic word and given name.

  • Bosnian
  • Arabic
  • Turkish
Current Rank
#3,465
Peak Rank
#795 (1996)
Total Babies
4K
5-Yr Trend
-25%
1976
First Year
1979
Last Year
1976
Peak Year
#8157
Peak Rank
11
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Tarik

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)

  • Bosnian
  • Arabic
  • Turkish
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 Tarik

Tarik first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1958, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 164 Tariks were born — ranking #849 that year. As of 2026, Tarik ranks #3,465 for baby boys with 34 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 4K Tariks have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
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OH
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Top 10
11-50
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No data

Variants & Related Forms of Tarik

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Tarik. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Tarik

Phonetically similar names — useful when Tarik 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 Tarik

What does the name Tarik mean?
Tariq is an Arabic word and given name.
What is the origin of the name Tarik?
Tarik has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Bosnian, Arabic, Turkish.
How popular is Tarik in 2026?
In 2026, Tarik ranks #3,465 among boys' names in the U.S., with 34 babies given the name that year.
When was Tarik most popular?
Tarik reached its peak popularity in 1996, ranking #795 that year with 164 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Tarik most popular?
Tarik has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Tarik.
Is Tarik a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Tarik is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Tarik?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Tarik include Massimo, Trystan, Mustafa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Tarik?
Common variants and related forms of Tarik include Tarek, Tareq, Tariq. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Tarik

Tarik is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Tarik's peak popularity came in 1996 when it ranked #795. Use the chart and map above to compare Tarik'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.