Given name & surname
Arun
Arun is used as a given name and a surname. One Sanskrit interpretation is “reddish-brown: the colour of dawn, gold, and rubies.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Sanskrit interpretation is “reddish-brown: the colour of dawn, gold, and rubies.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Sanskrit.
How it developed
Arun is a variant of Aaron. The shared background comes through Aaron: The traditional explanation links Aaron with a proposed Hebrew har-on, “mountain of strength.” That derivation is disputed, and a possible Egyptian background leaves the original formation unresolved.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1966. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Arun is a variant of Aaron. The history of Aaron gives this family its wider story. In Exodus, Aaron speaks on Moses’s behalf and becomes the first high priest of the Israelites. The naming tradition also includes the Hebrew form Aharon and the Yiddish familiar form Arke.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Arun through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,440
- 1,440 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 44 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #6,842 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −40%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 12 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,842 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 40.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,629 as a first name in 2020; 1,612 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Arun’s family of names
Arun has a feminine form in Aruna. Arun has a related form in Aaron. Arun has a related form in Aroon.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Arun
- Arun JaitleyIndian politician and attorney (1952–2019)
- Arun ShourieIndian journalist and politicianborn 1941
- Uttam KumarIndian actor, director and producer (1926–1980)
- Arun Manilal GandhiIndian-American social activist (1934–2023)
- Arun GovilIndian actor and politicianborn 1958
- Arun KhetarpalRecipient of Param Vir Chakra1950–1971
- Arun Vijayactorborn 1977
- Arun LalIndian cricket playerborn 1956
- Arun NetravaliIndian-American computer engineer1945–2021
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Arun, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Arjun
Arjun is used as a given name and a surname. One Sanskrit interpretation is “white: the colour of dawn, lightning, milk, and silver.”
>99% boys
Arnab
“sea”
>99% boys
Akash
Akash is a masculine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% boys
Aniruddh
Aniruddh is a masculine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% boys
Anshul
“radiant, luminous, bright”
>99% boys
Anubhav
“experience, feeling”
>99% boys
Rahul
Rahul is a masculine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% boys
Atul
“un-” · “equal, comparable”
>99% boys