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 boxerTaras Borodajkewycz (1902–1984), an Austrian economics historianTaras Mykolayovych Boychuk (born 1966), a Ukrainian scientistTaras Borovets (1908–1981), a Ukrainian WWII insurgency leaderTaras Burlak (born 1990), a Russian footballerTaras Chopik (born 1972), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Chornovil (born 1964), a Ukrainian politicianTaras Chubay (born 1970), a Ukrainian musician and poetTaras Danko (born 1980), a Ukrainian wrestlerTaras Duray (born 1984), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Dutko, a Ukrainian paralympic footballerTaras Fedorovych (died c. 1636), a Cossack leaderTaras Ferley (1882–1947), a Canadian publisher and politicianTaras Filenko, a Ukrainian musician and academicTaras Foremsky (born 1980), a Canadian ice hockey playerTaras Gabora (born 1932), a Canadian violinistTaras Grescoe (born 1966), a Canadian writerTaras Hunczak (born 1932), a Ukrainian-American academicTaras Hyrb (born 1952), a Canadian wrestlerTaras Ilnytskyi (born 1983), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Kabanov (born 1981), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Karabin (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Kermauner (1930–2008), a Slovenian authorTaras Khtey (born 1982), a Russian volleyball playerTaras Kiceniuk, Jr. (born 1954), an American hang gliderTaras Kiktyov (1986–2012), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Kompanichenko (born 1969), a Ukrainian musicianTaras Konoshchenko, a Ukrainian opera singerTaras Kozyra (born 1941), a Canadian politicianTaras Kuzio (born 1958), a British academicTaras Kripps (born 1985), a Canadian musician
Taras Lazarovych (born 1982), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Lutsenko (born 1974), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Mychalewych (born 1945), a German artistTaras Mykhalyk (born 1983), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Natyshak (born 1977), a Canadian politicianTaras Netkachev (born 1982), a Russian footballerTaras Petrivskyi (born 1984), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Petrynenko (born 1953), a Ukrainian singerTaras Pinchuk (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Protsyuk (1968–2003), a Ukrainian journalistTaras Puchkovskyi (born 1994), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Rajec (born 1988), a Ukrainian-born Slovak ice skaterTaras Rygulskiy (born 1991), a Russian footballerTaras Senkiv (born 1989), a Ukrainian lugerTaras Shelest (born 1980), a Russian footballerTaras Shelestyuk (born 1985), a Ukrainian boxerTaras Shevchenko (1814–1861), a Ukrainian poetTaras Sokolyk, a Canadian politician and businessmanTaras Stepanenko (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Tsarikayev (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Valko (born 1985), a Belarusian sprint canoerTaras Vinni (born 1988), a Ukrainian director and animatorTaras Voznyak (born 1957), a Ukrainian writer and activistTaras Yastremskyy, a Ukrainian paralympic swimmerTaras Yavorskyi (born 1989), a Ukrainian footballerTaras Zaviyskyi (born 1995), a Ukrainian footballer