Taras (name)

For other uses, see Taras (disambiguation).

Taras is a male Eastern European given name, used particularly by Ukrainians. It is probably derived from Taras, son of the god Poseidon.

The endemic spread of the name in that country is explained by its association with Taras Shevchenko, a national poet and unifying figure for the Ukrainian nation. Naming children by that name came to signify the allegiance to the national cause in a Ukrainian family. Notable people with the name include:

• Taras Bidenko (born 1980), a Ukrainian boxer
• Taras Borodajkewycz (1902–1984), an Austrian economics historian
• Taras Mykolayovych Boychuk (born 1966), a Ukrainian scientist
• Taras Borovets (1908–1981), a Ukrainian WWII insurgency leader
• Taras Burlak (born 1990), a Russian footballer

• Taras Chopik (born 1972), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Chornovil (born 1964), a Ukrainian politician
• Taras Chubay (born 1970), a Ukrainian musician and poet

• Taras Danko (born 1980), a Ukrainian wrestler
• Taras Duray (born 1984), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Dutko, a Ukrainian paralympic footballer

• Taras Fedorovych (died c. 1636), a Cossack leader
• Taras Ferley (1882–1947), a Canadian publisher and politician
• Taras Filenko, a Ukrainian musician and academic
• Taras Foremsky (born 1980), a Canadian ice hockey player

• Taras Gabora (born 1932), a Canadian violinist
• Taras Grescoe (born 1966), a Canadian writer

• Taras Hunczak (born 1932), a Ukrainian-American academic
• Taras Hyrb (born 1952), a Canadian wrestler

• Taras Ilnytskyi (born 1983), a Ukrainian footballer

• Taras Kabanov (born 1981), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Karabin (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Kermauner (1930–2008), a Slovenian author
• Taras Khtey (born 1982), a Russian volleyball player
• Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. (born 1954), an American hang glider
• Taras Kiktyov (1986–2012), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Kompanichenko (born 1969), a Ukrainian musician
• Taras Konoshchenko, a Ukrainian opera singer
• Taras Kozyra (born 1941), a Canadian politician
• Taras Kuzio (born 1958), a British academic
• Taras Kripps (born 1985), a Canadian musician

• Taras Lazarovych (born 1982), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Lutsenko (born 1974), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Lyssenko (born 1960) A and T Recovery, an American marine salvage expert of once lost US Navy World War II aircraft

• Taras Mychalewych (born 1945), a German artist
• Taras Mykhalyk (born 1983), a Ukrainian footballer

• Taras Natyshak (born 1977), a Canadian politician
• Taras Netkachev (born 1982), a Russian footballer

• Taras Petrivskyi (born 1984), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Petrynenko (born 1953), a Ukrainian singer
• Taras Pinchuk (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballer
• Taras Protsyuk (1968–2003), a Ukrainian journalist
• Taras Puchkovskyi (born 1994), a Ukrainian footballer

• Taras Rajec (born 1988), a Ukrainian-born Slovak ice skater
• Taras Rygulskiy (born 1991), a Russian footballer

• Taras Senkiv (born 1989), a Ukrainian luger
• Taras Shelest (born 1980), a Russian footballer
• Taras Shelestyuk (born 1985), a Ukrainian boxer
• Taras Shevchenko (1814–1861), a Ukrainian poet
• Taras Sokolyk, a Canadian politician and businessman
• Taras Stepanenko (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballer

• Taras Tsarikayev (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballer

• Taras Valko (born 1985), a Belarusian sprint canoer
• Taras Vinni (born 1988), a Ukrainian director and animator
• Taras Voznyak (born 1957), a Ukrainian writer and activist

• Taras Yastremskyy, a Ukrainian paralympic swimmer
• Taras Yavorskyi (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballer

• Taras Zaviyskyi (born 1995), a Ukrainian footballer

Fictional characters

• Taras Bulba, the protagonist of Nikolai Gogol's novel of the same name