NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Tariq

A masculine given name of Arabic origin meaning "morning star".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Tariq is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Tariq popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1000, with 30 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 72 births.

This profile covers 1,024 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 42% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,051 living people in the UK are called Tariq. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Tariq ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 30 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1998, when 72 boys were registered as Tariq.
  • Tariq ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #490 in 2004.
  • About 1,051 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tariq as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1000

2024

Births in 2024

30

Latest year

Peak year

1998

72 births

Estimated living

1,051

2026

Meaning

What does Tariq mean?

The name Tariq is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic verb "tariq" which means "the morning star" or "the knocker on the door". It is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula during the early days of Islam.

The earliest recorded use of the name Tariq dates back to the 8th century, when Tariq ibn Ziyad, a Berber Muslim commander, led the Umayyad conquest of Hispania (modern-day Spain and Portugal) in 711 CE. He is remembered for his pivotal role in establishing Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula.

In Islamic history, the name Tariq is mentioned in various religious texts and hadiths (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). It is associated with the concept of seeking knowledge and enlightenment, as the morning star was often used as a guiding light for travelers and seekers of truth.

One of the most famous historical figures with the name Tariq is Tariq al-Hakeem, a renowned 9th-century Arab physician and philosopher from Baghdad. He made significant contributions to the fields of medicine, philosophy, and theology during the Islamic Golden Age.

Another notable bearer of the name was Tariq ibn Shihab, a 10th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer from Baghdad. He is known for his work on the calculation of planetary movements and his contributions to the development of trigonometry.

In the literary world, Tariq Ali, a British-Pakistani writer and filmmaker born in 1943, is a prominent figure. He is known for his novels, non-fiction works, and political activism, particularly his support for left-wing and anti-imperialist causes.

Tariq Ramadan, born in 1962, is a Swiss-born Muslim philosopher and Islamic scholar. He is widely recognized for his efforts to promote dialogue and understanding between Western and Islamic societies, as well as his work on reforming Islamic thought and practice.

Tariq Aziz, born in 1936, was an Iraqi politician and diplomat who served as the Foreign Minister of Iraq under Saddam Hussein's regime. He gained international attention during the Gulf War and the subsequent Iraq War for his role as a spokesperson for the Iraqi government.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Tariq, which has its roots in the rich cultural heritage of the Arab world and the early days of Islam.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Tariq over time

The chart below shows babies named Tariq registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Tariq, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 30 births in 2024, compared with 72 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Tariq
018365472199620102024

Decades

Tariq by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tariq 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
2020s #1159 122 5
2010s #1139 240 10
2000s #596 452 10
1990s #420 210 4

Geography

Where Tariq is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Tariq. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Tariq ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #490 in 2004.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Tariq in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#490 in 2004

10 years of NRS records, 37 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Tariq

  • Tariq Uwakwe

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1999)

    1999-

  • Tariq Chow

    cinematographer

    English filmmaker

    1988-

  • Tariq Knight

    actor; magician

    British actor

    1984-

  • Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon

    politician

    British businessman and politician (born 1968)

    1968-

  • Tariq Alvi

    visual artist

    1965-

  • Tariq Anwar

    film editor

    British film editor

    1945-

  • Tariq Ali

    writer; screenwriter; historian; politician; film director; journalist; novelist; peace activist; producer

    British political activist, writer, and historian (born 1943)

    1943-

  • Tariq Mahmood

    Pakistani criminal

Related

Names similar to Tariq

FAQ

Tariq: questions and answers

How popular is the name Tariq in the UK right now?

In 2024, Tariq was ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales, with 30 births registered.

When was Tariq most popular?

The peak year on record was 1998, with 72 babies registered as Tariq in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Tariq?

A masculine given name of Arabic origin meaning "morning star".

How many people are called Tariq in the UK?

A total of 1,024 babies have been registered as Tariq across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 37 more in Scotland.

Where is Tariq most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Tariq ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #490 in 2004. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.