Explore the Family Name Tariq

The meaning of Tariq

Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic ṭāriq ‘morning star’. Al-Tāriq is the title of the 86th sura of the Koran. History: Tarīq Ibn Ziyad (died 720) was the leader of the Moors who brought Spain under Muslim rule and who gave his name to Gibraltar (Jabal Tarīq ‘mountain of Tarīq’ in Arabic). Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammad, Mohammed, Syed, Muhammad, Saeed, Mian, Muhammed, Shakir, Sheikh, Abida, Arshad, Asghar.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Tariq in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Tariq increased considerably from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Tariq was ranked 26,035 in terms of commonality, but by 2010 it had risen to 16,781 – a surge of approximately 35.54%. The count of individuals with this last name also nearly doubled during this decade, going from 885 people in 2000 to 1,702 in 2010, an increase of 92.32%. The proportion of individuals named Tariq per 100k also saw a significant rise of 75.76%.

20002010Change
Rank#26,035#16,78135.54%
Count8851,70292.32%
Proportion per 100k0.330.5875.76%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tariq

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Tariq has also seen changes over the years, as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the majority of individuals with the Tariq surname, around 76.27%, identified as Asian/Pacific Islander. By 2010, this percentage had grown to 89.07%, an increase of 16.78%. Meanwhile, those identifying as two or more races decreased significantly from 10.96% in 2000 to 2.59% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of individuals identifying as white or black also declined, falling by 27.17% and 40.33% respectively. However, there was a new appearance in the ethnicity distribution for the name Tariq, with 1% identifying as Hispanic in 2010, whereas none did in 2000. No change was observed in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander76.27%89.07%16.78%
White5.08%3.7%-27.17%
Black6.1%3.64%-40.33%
Two or More Races10.96%2.59%-76.37%
Hispanic0%1%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%