UK boy's name
Farouq
A masculine Arabic name meaning "the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Farouq is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Farouq popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4810, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 4 births.
This profile covers 19 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 1997 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 19 living people in the UK are called Farouq. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Farouq ranked #4810 for boys in England and Wales in 2016, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 4 boys were registered as Farouq.
- • About 19 living people in the UK are estimated to have Farouq as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4810
2016
Births in 2016
3
Latest year
Peak year
2003
4 births
Estimated living
19
2026
Meaning
What does Farouq mean?
The name Farouq is an Arabic name with its origins in the Arabic language. It is derived from the Arabic word "farq" which means "differentiating" or "distinguishing". The name is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula during the time of the spread of Islam in the 7th century AD.
One of the most significant historical references to the name Farouq is its association with the second Caliph of Islam, Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was also known as Farouq. He was a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad and ruled the Islamic Caliphate from 634 to 644 AD. His leadership and military achievements earned him the honorific title "Al-Farouq" which means "the one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood".
The earliest recorded use of the name Farouq can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the time of the Islamic conquests. Over the centuries, the name has been adopted by various Muslim communities across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.
Some notable historical figures who bore the name Farouq include:
1. Umar ibn al-Khattab (586-644 AD), the second Caliph of Islam and one of the most influential rulers in Islamic history. 2. Farouq I (1590-1648), the sixth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire who reigned from 1618 to 1648. 3. Farouq of Egypt (1920-1965), the last King of Egypt and Sudan, who ruled from 1936 until his abdication in 1952. 4. Farouq al-Mulhim (1923-2004), a Saudi Arabian historian and writer known for his works on the history of the Arabian Peninsula. 5. Farouq Abdelaziz (born 1972), an Egyptian-American basketball player who played in the NBA for several teams.
The name Farouq has been widely used across the Islamic world and has gained popularity due to its historical and religious significance. It continues to be a popular choice for naming newborns in many Arabic-speaking and Muslim communities around the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Farouq over time
The chart below shows babies named Farouq registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Farouq, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2016, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Farouq by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Farouq was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4744 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3247 | 10 | 3 |
| 1990s | #2859 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Farouq
- Freddie 46,945
- Finley 42,410
- Frederick 19,866
- Finlay 17,879
- Frankie 17,528
- Finn 14,413
- Felix 14,361
- Fraser 6,470
- Flynn 6,170
- Frank 5,992
- Filip 5,876
- Francis 5,744
FAQ
Farouq: questions and answers
How popular is the name Farouq in the UK right now?
In 2016, Farouq was ranked #4810 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Farouq most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 4 babies registered as Farouq in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Farouq?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood".
How many people are called Farouq in the UK?
A total of 19 babies have been registered as Farouq across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.