Explore the Family Name Akbar

The meaning of Akbar

Muslim (mainly Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh; also Iran): from a personal name based on Arabic akbar ‘greater, greatest’, an elative of kabīr ‘great’ (see Kabir). Allahu Akbār ‘God/Allah is the greatest’ is a slogan of Muslims throughout the world. History: The Mughal emperor known in English as Akbar the Great (Jalāl ud-Dīn Akbar; 1542–1605) extended his rule from a base in Punjab to cover most of the Indian subcontinent by the time of his death. His rule was notable for the integration of Hindus and Muslims in positions of power. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Ali, Mohammad, Syed, Mohammed, Muhammad, Raja, Aesha, Alim, Fatimah, Ghouse, Imran, Jalaluddin.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Akbar in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Akbar has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Akbar ranked 14,495 in terms of name prevalence, but jumped to 12,136 by 2010, marking an impressive 16.27% surge. Additionally, the number of individuals with this surname increased from 1,886 to 2,567 within the same period, representing a rise of 36.11%. The proportion of people with the surname Akbar per 100,000 also rose from 0.7 to 0.87, a 24.29% upswing.

20002010Change
Rank#14,495#12,13616.27%
Count1,8862,56736.11%
Proportion per 100k0.70.8724.29%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Akbar

In regard to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with the surname Akbar increased from 38.23% to 46.16%, a change of 20.74%. Individuals identifying as two or more races with this surname fell from 11.66% to 8.22%, a decrease of 29.5%. Among those identified as White, there was a slight increase of 3.77% (from 12.99% to 13.48%). The Hispanic population with this surname saw a notable leap from 1.86% to 3.23%, a 73.66% jump. There was a decline in the Black population (from 34.78% to 28.59%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations (from 0.48% to 0.31%), with falls of 17.80% and 35.42% respectively.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander38.23%46.16%20.74%
Black34.78%28.59%-17.8%
White12.99%13.48%3.77%
Two or More Races11.66%8.22%-29.5%
Hispanic1.86%3.23%73.66%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.48%0.31%-35.42%