Taran

Taran is a Welsh word meaning thunder, with roots in an older Celtic vocabulary shared with the divine name Taranis. It also has historical use as a personal name, including a seventh-century Pictish king, Taran mac Ainftech. Those connections give it a history beyond its resemblance to modern names such as Darren.

Readers may know Taran as the young protagonist of Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, beginning as an assistant pig-keeper who longs for heroic adventures. Alexander drew inspiration from Welsh traditions while creating his own fictional world and characters. The literary association therefore adds another layer to an existing word and name. Families may choose Taran for its Welsh meaning, historical background, or a connection with the books, without needing to combine unrelated meanings from other languages.