Ahmet
A name of Turkish origin meaning "highly praised" or "the praised one".
Name Census estimates that about 640 living Americans carry the first name Ahmet. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ahmet today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ahmet births was 2015 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ahmet. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
640
~ 1 in 535,554 Americans
Peak year
2015
38 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,651
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Ahmet: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ahmet from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 251 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ahmet remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ahmet by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ahmet during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ahmets live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Ahmet, while Texas, New Jersey, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 24 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ahmet
The name Ahmet is of Turkish origin, derived from the Arabic name Ahmad, which means "highly praised" or "more praiseworthy." The name traces its roots back to the 7th century CE and the early days of Islam.
The name Ahmad is mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad. It is considered a highly revered name among Muslims, and its variant Ahmet is widely used in Turkey and other parts of the Ottoman Empire's former territories.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ahmet can be found in the writings of the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, who mentioned a disciple named Ahmet in his works. Throughout history, the name has been borne by several notable figures, including Ahmet Muhtar Pasha (1839-1919), an Ottoman military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of Istanbul during the Balkan Wars.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Ahmet Haşim (1884-1933), a Turkish poet and a leading figure in the National Literature movement. His works significantly influenced modern Turkish literature and poetry. Ahmet Adnan Saygun (1907-1991) was a celebrated Turkish composer and musician, known for his contributions to the development of Turkish classical music.
Ahmet Ertegun (1923-2006), the co-founder of Atlantic Records, was a influential figure in the music industry. He played a pivotal role in introducing rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and other genres to a wider audience. Ahmet Zappa (1974-), the son of the legendary musician Frank Zappa, is also a notable bearer of the name, carrying on his father's musical legacy.
While the name Ahmet has its roots in Arabic and Islamic culture, it has transcended religious and cultural boundaries, gaining popularity in various regions and communities around the world.
People
Ahmet + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ahmet as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ahmet: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ahmet?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 640 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ahmet going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 535,554 US residents.
Is Ahmet a common name?
We classify Ahmet as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 650 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ahmet most popular?
The single biggest year for Ahmet was 2015, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ahmet is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ahmet a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ahmet in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.