Narek
An Armenian masculine name derived from a word meaning "new".
Name Census estimates that about 638 living Americans carry the first name Narek. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Narek today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Narek births was 2021 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Narek. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
638
~ 1 in 537,233 Americans
Peak year
2021
42 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,274
Tracked since 1990
Census
Narek in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 937 people with the first name Narek, which placed it at #13,042 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#13,042
National first-name rank
People counted
937
937 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
96.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Narek
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Narek is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Narek described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Narek at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 906
- Two or more races1.7% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
Popularity
Narek: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Narek from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 232 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Narek remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Narek by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Narek during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nareks live
Origin
Meaning and history of Narek
The name Narek has its origins rooted in the Armenian language and culture. It is derived from the Armenian word "narek," which means "leader" or "guide." This name dates back to ancient times and has been in use within the Armenian community for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Narek can be found in the writings of the revered 10th-century Armenian monk and theologian, St. Narekatsi. He is renowned for his poetic masterpiece, the "Book of Lamentations," which is also known as the "Narek." This literary work has had a profound impact on Armenian spiritual and cultural traditions, and the name Narek has since been associated with this influential figure.
In the realm of Armenian history, Narek Isahakyan (1864-1944) stands out as a prominent figure. He was a renowned writer, playwright, and public figure who played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of Armenia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another notable individual bearing the name Narek was Narek Baveyan (1915-1982), a celebrated Armenian actor and director. He made significant contributions to the development of Armenian theater and cinema, and his performances were widely acclaimed for their depth and artistry.
Narek Sargsyan (born 1981) is a contemporary Armenian chess grandmaster who has achieved numerous accolades in the world of chess. He has represented Armenia in various international tournaments and is considered one of the country's most promising chess talents.
Narek Hakhnazaryan (born 1988) is a celebrated Armenian cellist who has performed on prestigious stages around the world. He is renowned for his virtuosic technique and emotive interpretations, and has received numerous awards and accolades for his artistry.
The name Narek has a rich historical significance within the Armenian culture and has been borne by notable figures across various fields, including literature, theater, sports, and the arts. Its meaning as a "leader" or "guide" has resonated through the accomplishments of these individuals, who have left an indelible mark on Armenian heritage and beyond.
People
Narek + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Narek as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Narek: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Narek?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 638 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Narek going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 537,233 US residents.
Is Narek a common name?
We classify Narek as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 645 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Narek most popular?
The single biggest year for Narek was 2021, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Narek is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Narek in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 937 people with the name Narek, or 0.31 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #13,042 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Narek in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Narek?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Narek appears almost entirely male. Of the 937 people counted with this name, 99.8% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Narek?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Narek is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Narek most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Narek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (906 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Narek in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Narek a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Narek in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Narek still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Narek in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Narek can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many Americans are named Narek?
See how many people share the name Narek on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.