Tharan
A masculine name of Tamil origin meaning "star" or "brightness".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Tharan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tharan today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tharan births was 2015 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tharan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Tharan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tharan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
2015
9 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#8,670
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Tharan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tharan 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 Tharan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tharan
The name Tharan has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "tara," which means "star" or "shining one." The name is believed to have originated in ancient India and was likely associated with Hindu mythology and religious traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tharan can be found in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic that dates back to the 4th century BCE. The name is mentioned in reference to a character named Tharan, who was a warrior and a follower of Lord Krishna. This suggests that the name was in use during the epic period of ancient Indian history.
In the Puranas, which are ancient Hindu texts, there are references to a sage named Tharan who was revered for his spiritual wisdom and teachings. The Puranas were compiled between the 3rd and 10th centuries CE, indicating that the name had gained popularity and significance within Hindu traditions by that time.
One of the most famous historical figures with the name Tharan was Tharan Senathipathy, a Tamil scholar and poet who lived in the 16th century CE. He was renowned for his contributions to Tamil literature and is considered one of the most influential literary figures of the Tamil Renaissance period.
Another notable figure was Tharan Shankar, an Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 19th century (1835-1914). He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and was recognized for his work on the theory of numbers and the calculation of planetary positions.
In the early 20th century, Tharan Singh (1896-1967) was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and a member of the Indian National Congress. He played an active role in the Indian independence movement and was imprisoned several times for his participation in civil disobedience campaigns.
The name Tharan has also been associated with several spiritual leaders and gurus throughout history. One such figure was Tharan Swami (1910-1997), a renowned Indian mystic and spiritual teacher who had a significant following in both India and the West.
While the name Tharan is deeply rooted in ancient Indian history and traditions, it has also been adopted and used in various cultures and regions around the world, reflecting the influence and spread of Indian culture and traditions over time.
People
Tharan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tharan 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
Tharan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tharan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tharan 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Tharan a common name?
We classify Tharan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tharan most popular?
The single biggest year for Tharan was 2015, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tharan is about 11 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 Tharan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tharan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tharan 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 Tharan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tharan 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 Tharan 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 share the name Tharan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.