In 2025, official first name statistics in France show that a male first name of Arabic origin was assigned to just over 500 newborns. Data from the first name fileINSEEestablished from birth certificates for mainland France and the overseas territories, place it in the middle of the ranking, far from the most given first names. Behind this discreet success hides a first name that is both modern in French maternity wards and very old in religious texts, since it prolongs the memory of a great character from the Exodus.
This first name is Harun. Of Arabic origin, it is a form of the biblical first name Aaronwhom the Torah and the Bible place alongside Moses in the book of Exodus, at the heart of the history of the Israelites. In Islamic tradition and in the Koran, Haroun also refers to the prophet Aaron, called the brother of Moses, whom many believers know under the name Musa. This double anchoring, biblical and Koranic, partly explains the renewed interest of parents in this choice in 2025.
How many boys were named Haroun in 2025?
According to the figures taken from the first name file of theINSEEapproximately 515 boys received the first name Harun in 2025 in France. The institute specifies that these figures are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5, which gives an order of magnitude rather than a count to the nearest baby. With this volume, Haroun is around 117th place among male first names, a level which makes it visible without becoming omnipresent in kindergarten classes.
These data only relate to births registered in 2025, and not to the total number of people named Haroun living in France today. The INSEE first name file covers the period 1900–2025, which makes it possible to follow the progressive diffusion of the name, but with this rounding constraint. For parents, the key information remains that Haroun is known without being overly popular.
Origin of the first name Haroun, Arabic form of Aaron
The first name Haroun is a name of Arabic origin which derives directly from Aaron, or Aharon, a major figure in the Exodus. Aaron appears as the brother of Moses in the Torah and the Bible, the prophet’s spokesperson to the Israelites. In Islamic tradition, Haroun designates the same prophet, mentioned in the Koran alongside Musa. A single first name connects two great religious stories.
In terms of meaning, Haroun is generally understood as a first name which refers to the idea of elevation, nobility, height or sublime character, which gives it a very spiritual tone. It remains common in many countries in the Middle East, North Africa or South Asia. In France, this same heritage attracts parents who are looking for a Muslim first name open to an older history.
Haroun al-Rashid, the Abbasid dynasty and Haroun’s imagination
The first name Haroun also evokes Haroun al-Rashid, fifth caliph of the Abbasid dynasty who reigned from 786 to 809. This figure of enlightened sovereign, popularized by the collection The Thousand and One Nightsassociates the name with the idea of cultivated leadership.