Barack

At a Glance

Meaning

Blessed

Origin

Luo (Kenya); Anglicized spelling of Barak, ultimately from Arabic

Gender

Boy

Pronunciation

buh-RAHKListen

Barack is pronounced buh-RAHK and means 'blessed' — it's the Anglicized Luo (Kenyan) spelling of Barak, tracing back to an Arabic root. You may have seen it described as a Swahili word for 'blessed'; that's a simplification, since the meaning holds up but the name itself isn't a direct Swahili term (Swahili's own word 'baraka' does share that Arabic root). It has a worldly feel, fitting for parents drawn to names with roots outside the most common Western naming traditions.

Meaning & Origin of Barack

Meaning: Blessed.

Origin: Luo (Kenya); Anglicized spelling of Barak, ultimately from Arabic.

A common claim: Barack means 'blessed' in Swahili — widely repeated in coverage of President Barack Obama. Actually: The 'blessed' meaning holds up, but 'Swahili' is a simplification: Barack is the Anglicized Luo (Kenyan) spelling of Barak, tracing to an Arabic root for 'blessed,' not a direct Swahili word (though Swahili's own 'baraka' shares that Arabic root).

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Barack

Popularity of Barack

Social Security data from 2007 to 2024 shows Barack peaked at #1977 in 2009, when 71 babies were given the name, before falling to #11068 in 2024 with just 6.

Names Like Barack

These names share Barack’s style, era or origin.

• Rashidi
• Abasi
• Bakari
• Bomani
• Faraji
• Imani

FAQ

What does the name Barack mean?

Blessed. (Source: Wiktionary)

How do you pronounce Barack?

Barack is pronounced buh-RAHK (IPA: /bəˈrɑːk/).

Is Barack a popular name right now?

Barack peaked at #1977 in 2009 and is ranked #11068 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 2007–2024.)

Make Barack Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Barack, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.