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Tarek as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Tarek

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The baby name Tarek is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Arabic: /ˈtˤaːriq/; English: /ˈtɑːrɛk/ or /ˈtærɪk/ (TAH-rek, TAR-ik).

Tarek is Arabic in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Arabic
Pronunciation: Arabic: /ˈtˤaːriq/; English: /ˈtɑːrɛk/ or /ˈtærɪk/ (TAH-rek, TAR-ik)

What is the meaning of the name Tarek ?

The baby name Tarek is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Arabic: /ˈtˤaːriq/; English: /ˈtɑːrɛk/ or /ˈtærɪk/ (TAH-rek, TAR-ik).

Tarek is Arabic in Origin.

Tarek is a Maghrebi and Francophone transliteration of Arabic Ṭāriq (طارق), from the root ṭ-r-q “to knock, strike, arrive by night.” The name denotes “night visitor” or “he who knocks at the door,” and by Qur’anic usage (Sūrat al-Ṭāriq, 86) evokes the brilliant “night‑comer” star, often interpreted as the morning star (Venus) or a piercing celestial body. These layers lend connotations of arrival, decisiveness, and luminous guidance.

It gained wide renown through Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād, the 8th‑century commander whose landing in Iberia gave Gibraltar its name (Jabal Ṭāriq, “mountain of Ṭāriq”). The name remains common across the Arab world and diaspora. Variants include Tariq (standard), Tarik (Bosnian and general), Tareq (South Asian/Levantine), Tarek (French‑influenced), and Turkish Tarık. A rare feminine form, Tāriqa, exists. Usage as a surname appears in some modern records.

Tarek has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Tarek

Tarek Boudali Actor · Born 1979 · France Tarek Boudali is a French actor and comedian best known for his comedy films. Of Moroccan origin, he’s known for movies like Alibi.com, Babysitting, and Epouse-moi mon pote.

Celebrity babies named Tarek

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Tarek Sharif Faten Hamama film producer ★★★★★ Omar Sharif television actor ★★★★★

Tarek – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2018 #1 — 744
EG Boys 0 #21 64,372 15,035
EG 0 #28 2,889 6,387
LY 0 #32 2,302 12,703
TN 0 #35 14,301 13,765
KW 0 #40 81 5,216
LB 0 #43 3,094 13,263
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
QA 0 #43 59 7,011
SA 0 #43 459 10,560
SY 0 #45 5,673 11,684
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
AE 0 #55 135 10,220
DZ 0 #68 12,642 20,130
MV Boys 0 #74 6 3,375
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
BG 0 #81 2 1,799
CN 0 #84 3 3,857
JO 0 #91 47 2,158
OM 0 #91 26 6,215
SD 0 #96 7 2,130
BD Boys 0 #97 1,579 10,045
BD 0 #97 148 5,992
JO Boys 0 #109 693 7,057
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
CY Boys 0 #117 13 3,473
IQ 0 #126 8 3,533
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
GR 0 #131 5 3,911
KW Boys 0 #135 1,374 18,755
BN Boys 0 #138 2 6,332
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
LT Boys 0 #149 3 2,166
PS Boys 0 #153 767 10,655
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
MT Boys 0 #158 19 4,064
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
QA Boys 0 #165 930 18,093
HU Boys 0 #168 7 3,954
IL Boys 0 #174 931 10,983
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
Sweden Boys 2022 #181 2 1,509
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
PS 0 #191 28 5,692
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
DK 0 #198 9 5,198
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
BG Boys 0 #216 5 3,850
GR Boys 0 #216 52 6,912
LU Boys 0 #217 4 4,970
YE 0 #229 166 8,639
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
SA Boys 0 #233 5,992 28,008
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
DK Boys 0 #236 90 7,401
IL 0 #236 39 6,291
AO Boys 0 #247 3 5,568
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
NA Boys 0 #251 3 6,830
NG 0 #269 4 5,926
SD Boys 0 #269 189 10,523
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
CZ Boys 0 #295 10 6,530
JP Boys 0 #295 9 7,909
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
QA Girls 0 #300 17 15,378
Canada Boys 2024 #302 5 2,588
AL Boys 0 #302 2 5,122
CN Boys 0 #303 17 9,639
BD Girls 0 #305 82 8,413
PL Boys 0 #318 18 6,459
AE Boys 0 #320 1,467 22,615
Austria Boys 0 #326 119 2,180
JO Girls 0 #331 9 7,570
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
OM Boys 0 #338 775 17,948
MA 0 #347 1,982 20,986
OM Girls 0 #349 48 15,987
MY 0 #353 2 12,352
SD Girls 0 #355 4 7,678
France Boys 2021 #358 30 2,865
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
GH Boys 0 #359 3 8,138
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
NL 0 #374 18 2,481
PT Boys 0 #374 8 7,951
BH 0 #375 179 17,937
IQ Boys 0 #383 319 13,071
Finland Boys 0 #388 40 2,041
EG Girls 0 #389 933 14,742
Germany 0 #401 37 2,542
PH Boys 0 #403 6 11,440
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
CL 0 #431 4 6,867
Germany Boys 0 #433 700 5,697
Spain 0 #435 18 2,326
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
RU Boys 0 #478 28 12,621
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
KW Girls 0 #489 27 19,177
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #500 6 9,305
CO 0 #506 5 7,768
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
PS Girls 0 #510 14 10,981
IQ Girls 0 #517 9 11,303
AE Girls 0 #524 30 20,968
IT Boys 0 #539 1,598 10,046
IR Boys 0 #542 11 10,162
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
CM Boys 0 #573 3 12,054
SG Boys 0 #587 111 17,960
IL Girls 0 #595 23 11,648
Spain Boys 0 #605 354 5,610
CL Boys 0 #616 50 13,390
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
SG Girls 0 #630 3 18,916
Finland Boys 2026 #641 42 3,552
IT 0 #652 63 4,183
NL Boys 0 #667 294 5,873
TR 0 #712 739 19,440
BR Boys 0 #740 12 12,213
SA Girls 0 #844 92 25,931
PE Boys 0 #860 19 14,506
United States Boys 2024 #867 26 7,044
CO Boys 0 #893 28 15,656
NG Boys 0 #940 12 16,906
MX Boys 0 #965 18 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,034 6 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,039 73 25,439
MY Girls 0 #1,071 2 24,821
ZA Boys 0 #1,145 34 25,619
CO Girls 0 #1,151 2 16,140
IT Girls 0 #1,433 14 9,415

Tarek is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
United States
Sweden
Brussels, Belgium

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Tarek

Tarek is predominantly a boy's name.
Tarek is a 2 syllable name, pronounced Arabic: /ˈtˤaːriq/; English: /ˈtɑːrɛk/ or /ˈtærɪk/ (TAH-rek, TAR-ik).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Tariq, Tarik, Tareq, Tareek, Tarique and Tarık.
Across languages, Tarek has these equivalents: Ṭāriq (Arabic: طارق), Tariq (Urdu/Persian), Tarık (Turkish).
Yes, very popular — Tarek ranked #1 in Ireland in 2018, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Tarek ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2018).
Tarek's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #379 in 2011 to #358 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 1 notable people named Tarek are in our database, including Tarek Boudali (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Tarek for their child, including Faten Hamama and Omar Sharif.