Tarakanov, feminine Tarakanova () is a Russian surname belonging to the extinct Russian noble family of . Although the surname superficially looks like derived from the word таракан, "cockroach", turkologist Nikolai Baskakov suggests that it is derived from the Turkic tar agan (tar-aqan) , "fugitive", "wanderer", "pilgrim".Альфред Хасанович Халиков, 500 РУССКИХ ФАМИЛИЙ БУЛГАРО-ТАТАРСКОГО ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЯ, 1992 (library record) (Similar etymologies are suggested for the word "tarakan" as well.)
Notable people with the surname include: Princess Tarakanova (1745-1775) a pretender to the Russian throne Anastasia Tarakanova Aleksey Tarakanov Nelli Tarakanova Nikolai Tarakanov Pavel Tarakanov Sergei Tarakanov Timofei Nikitich Tarakanov (1774-1834), Russian serf, explorer, and fur trader Valentyna Tarakanova Valeria Tarakanova Valery Tarakanov Yegor Tarakanov
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