Sarek
A masculine name of Vulcan origin meaning "branch of service".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Sarek. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sarek today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sarek births was 1997 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sarek. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sarek. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1997
8 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
1998 SSA rank
#11,010
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Sarek: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sarek 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 Sarek during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sarek
The name Sarek is believed to have originated from the ancient Vulcan language, spoken by the inhabitants of the planet Vulcan in the star system 40 Eridani A. The name is derived from the Vulcan word "sa'rek", which roughly translates to "of the desert" or "from the arid lands".
The earliest recorded use of the name Sarek dates back to the time of the Vulcan Reformation, a pivotal era in Vulcan history when the planet's inhabitants embraced logic and reason over emotions and violence. During this period, which began in the 4th century, many Vulcans adopted names that reflected the new philosophical and cultural shift.
One of the most notable figures in Vulcan history to bear the name Sarek was the Vulcan ambassador and diplomat who lived from 2165 to 2285. He played a crucial role in fostering peaceful relations between Vulcan and other planets, including Earth. His son, Spock, a half-human, half-Vulcan, would go on to become a revered figure in the United Federation of Planets.
Another prominent Sarek was a Vulcan philosopher and scientist who lived during the 7th century. His writings and teachings on the principles of logic and emotional control were instrumental in shaping Vulcan society and culture. His works, such as "The Discipline of Logic" and "The Pursuit of Knowledge", are still studied and revered by Vulcans today.
In the 9th century, there was a Vulcan mathematician and astronomer named Sarek, whose groundbreaking discoveries and calculations revolutionized the study of astrophysics and contributed significantly to the understanding of the universe's origins.
During the 12th century, a Vulcan artist and sculptor named Sarek gained widespread recognition for his intricate and emotionally evocative works, which challenged the traditional Vulcan aesthetic of the time and paved the way for a new artistic movement.
Finally, in the 16th century, a Vulcan explorer and navigator named Sarek led several expeditions to distant planets and star systems, expanding Vulcan's knowledge of the galaxy and laying the groundwork for future interstellar travel and exploration.
People
Sarek + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sarek as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sarek: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sarek?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sarek 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Sarek a common name?
We classify Sarek as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sarek most popular?
The single biggest year for Sarek was 1997, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sarek is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Sarek in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sarek a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sarek 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 Sarek still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sarek 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 Sarek 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Sarek as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.