Zarak
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "shooting star" or "radiant light".
Name Census estimates that about 27 living Americans carry the first name Zarak. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zarak today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zarak births was 1957 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zarak. 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 Zarak with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zarak. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
27
~ 1 in 12,694,605 Americans
Peak year
1957
8 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2014 SSA rank
#14,033
Tracked since 1957
Popularity
Zarak: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zarak from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Zarak remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zarak 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 Zarak during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zarak
The name Zarak is believed to have its origins in the Persian language, tracing back to ancient Persia, which is now modern-day Iran. The name is derived from the Persian word "zar," meaning gold or golden, and "ak," a diminutive suffix indicating smallness or endearment. Thus, the name Zarak can be interpreted to mean "little golden one" or "golden child."
Historically, the name Zarak has been associated with the Zoroastrian religion, one of the oldest monotheistic faiths originating in ancient Persia. Zoroastrian scriptures, such as the Avesta, contain references to individuals bearing names with the root "zar," signifying their association with the concept of light, purity, and divinity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zarak can be found in the ancient Persian epic, the Shahnameh, written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. In this literary masterpiece, Zarak is mentioned as a minor character, a brave warrior in the service of the legendary king, Kai Khosrow.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Zarak. One such figure was Zarak Khan (c. 1590-1640), a powerful Mughal governor and military commander who served under the emperor Shah Jahan. He played a crucial role in the expansion of the Mughal Empire and the construction of the iconic Taj Mahal.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Zarak Khân Abdâli (c. 1700-1775), an Afghan ruler and military leader who founded the Durrani Empire, which spanned parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. He is remembered for his successful campaigns against the declining Mughal Empire and his efforts to unite the Pashtun tribes.
In the realm of literature, Zarak Fazil (c. 1700-1780) was a celebrated Persian poet and calligrapher during the Safavid dynasty. His poetry, known for its mystical undertones and intricate calligraphic works, earned him widespread acclaim throughout the Persian-speaking world.
Moving to more recent times, Zarak Khan (1912-1994) was an influential Pakistani politician and diplomat who served as the country's Foreign Minister from 1965 to 1966. He played a pivotal role in shaping Pakistan's foreign policy during a critical period in its history.
These examples illustrate the rich historical legacy of the name Zarak, spanning various cultures, religions, and eras, from ancient Persia to the modern era, encompassing figures of distinction in warfare, literature, politics, and diplomacy.
People
Zarak + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zarak as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zarak: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zarak?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 27 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zarak 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 12,694,605 US residents.
Is Zarak a common name?
We classify Zarak as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zarak most popular?
The single biggest year for Zarak was 1957, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zarak is about 39 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 Zarak in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zarak a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zarak 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 Zarak still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zarak 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 Zarak 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 are called Zarak?
You can see how many people share the name Zarak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.