The nameHaroun

Meaning

Haroun comes from the Arabic Harun, a form of Aaron, whose meaning is debated.

Origin

Hebrew, through Arabic. Aaron, brother of Moses, is honoured in the Bible and the Quran.

History

The Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, who ruled from Baghdad from 786 to 809, appears in many tales of the One Thousand and One Nights, which made the name famous. In France the volcanologist Haroun Tazieff made it widely known, and Salman Rushdie gave it to the hero of his children's novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990). In France it has reached its highest level in recent years.

Famous people named Haroun

• Harun al-Rashid, Abbasid caliph
• Haroun Tazieff, volcanologist

Popularity of the name Haroun

Haroun in France

Haroun was most popular in France in the 2020s, with 2,925 births over the decade, 47% of all recorded babies named Haroun. Its rise began around 2008, and it peaked in 2025. Half of all babies named Haroun in France were born before 2019, so it is mostly a name of today's children and teenagers. Over the last five years on record, it has been rising: 489 births a year on average, against 418 in the five years before.

Haroun in Belgium

Haroun was most popular in Belgium in the 2020s, with 594 births over the decade, 46% of all recorded babies named Haroun. Its rise began around 2005, and it peaked in 2025. Half of all babies named Haroun in Belgium were born before 2019, so it is mostly a name of today's children and teenagers. Over the last five years on record, its popularity has held steady at around 100 births a year.