Fares is the Levantine and French-style spelling of the Arabic Faris, which means "knight" or "horseman", a word that stood for chivalry in classical Arabic poetry. It is common in Lebanon, Egypt and North Africa and is used by Arab-American families in the United States. Fares has held a remarkably steady level here: it peaked at number 2,460 in 2012, hovered just below number 3,000 for a decade and ranks number 2,689 in 2025 with 48 births.