UK boy's name
Zaraan
An Arabic name meaning "he who spreads light".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2017. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Zaraan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zaraan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2017 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3996, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 5 births.
This profile covers 9 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2015 to 2017. 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 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 9 living people in the UK are called Zaraan. 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 2018 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Zaraan ranked #3996 for boys in England and Wales in 2017, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 5 boys were registered as Zaraan.
- • About 9 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zaraan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3996
2017
Births in 2017
4
Latest year
Peak year
2015
5 births
Estimated living
9
2026
Meaning
What does Zaraan mean?
The name Zaraan has its origins in the ancient Persian language, tracing back to the Achaemenid Empire of the 6th century BCE. It is derived from the Old Persian word "zaraana," which means "golden" or "radiant." This name was often associated with the sun and its warm, golden rays.
During the reign of the Achaemenid Empire, which stretched from modern-day Iran to parts of Central Asia and the Middle East, the name Zaraan gained popularity among the noble classes and was often bestowed upon children as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zaraan can be found in the Achaemenid royal inscriptions at Persepolis, where it appears as the name of a high-ranking official during the reign of Darius the Great (550-486 BCE).
In ancient Persian literature, the name Zaraan is mentioned in the epic poem "Shahnameh" by the renowned poet Ferdowsi (940-1020 CE). The poem tells the story of a valiant warrior named Zaraan who fought alongside the legendary hero Rostam.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zaraan. One such person was Zaraan ibn Khayr al-Hamdani (893-971 CE), a celebrated Persian poet and scholar from the Hamdanid dynasty. His poetry was widely acclaimed for its exquisite imagery and deep philosophical insights.
Another prominent figure was Zaraan Khalili (1211-1292 CE), a revered Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from Khwarezm, a historical region in modern-day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. He was renowned for his profound wisdom and his teachings on the path of divine love and self-knowledge.
In the 15th century, Zaraan al-Din Tusi (1401-1469 CE) was a prominent Persian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and wrote extensively on various scientific and philosophical subjects.
During the Safavid Dynasty in Persia (1501-1736 CE), the name Zaraan gained further popularity, and one notable figure was Zaraan Beg Khan (1542-1615 CE), a high-ranking military commander and governor who played a crucial role in expanding the empire's territories.
While the name Zaraan has ancient roots in Persian culture, it has also been adopted and adapted in other regions, particularly in Central Asia and parts of the Indian subcontinent, where it has been influenced by local linguistic and cultural traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zaraan over time
The chart below shows babies named Zaraan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2015 to 2017. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Zaraan, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2017, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaraan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zaraan 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 | #3685 | 9 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Zaraan
- Zachary 29,362
- Zak 9,988
- Zain 7,620
- Zac 7,272
- Zack 7,101
- Zakariya 5,447
- Zach 4,754
- Zayn 4,326
- Zachariah 3,234
- Zion 3,141
- Zane 2,818
- Zayd 2,609
FAQ
Zaraan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zaraan in the UK right now?
In 2017, Zaraan was ranked #3996 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Zaraan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 5 babies registered as Zaraan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zaraan?
An Arabic name meaning "he who spreads light".
How many people are called Zaraan in the UK?
A total of 9 babies have been registered as Zaraan across the 2 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.