Tarun
A masculine Hindu name meaning rising sun or morning star.
Name Census estimates that about 828 living Americans carry the first name Tarun. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tarun today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tarun births was 2007 (63 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tarun. 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
828
~ 1 in 413,955 Americans
Peak year
2007
63 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,145
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Tarun: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tarun from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 419 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tarun 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 Tarun during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Taruns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Tarun, while Ohio, Michigan, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tarun
The name Tarun has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that was prevalent in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "taru," which means "tree" or "plant." It is believed that the name Tarun came into existence during the Vedic period, which dates back to around 1500–500 BCE.
In ancient Hindu scriptures, particularly the Vedas and Upanishads, there are references to the word "taru" being used metaphorically to symbolize strength, growth, and stability. It is possible that the name Tarun was initially given to individuals who embodied these qualities or were associated with nature and the natural world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tarun can be found in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In the epic, Tarun is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tarun. One of the most famous was Tarun Ghosh, an Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary who lived from 1876 to 1938. He played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement and was actively involved in the Anushilan Samiti, a revolutionary organization that advocated for the overthrow of British rule in India.
Another renowned Tarun was Tarun Raj Arora, an Indian businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1924 to 2012. He was the founder of the Arora Group of Companies, a conglomerate that operates in various sectors, including hospitality, real estate, and manufacturing. Arora was also known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed significantly to various social causes.
In the field of literature, Tarun Vijay is a prominent figure. Born in 1957, he is an Indian writer, journalist, and former member of parliament. Vijay has authored several books on topics ranging from politics to culture and is widely recognized for his contributions to the literary world.
Tarun Gogoi, an Indian politician who lived from 1936 to 2020, was another notable individual with this name. He served as the Chief Minister of Assam, a state in northeastern India, from 2001 to 2016 and was instrumental in implementing several development initiatives during his tenure.
Lastly, Tarun Chugh is a contemporary Indian politician who has been actively involved in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a major political party in India. Born in 1975, Chugh has held various positions within the party and has played a significant role in promoting its agenda and policies.
People
Tarun + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tarun as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tarun: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tarun?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 828 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tarun 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 413,955 US residents.
Is Tarun a common name?
We classify Tarun as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 841 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tarun most popular?
The single biggest year for Tarun was 2007, when 63 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tarun is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tarun a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tarun 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.
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.