Akil
A masculine Arabic name meaning intelligent, wise, or prudent.
Name Census estimates that about 2,070 living Americans carry the first name Akil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Akil today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Akil births was 1994 (82 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Akil. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Akil with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
2.1K
~ 1 in 165,582 Americans
Peak year
1994
82 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,208
Tracked since 1970
Census
Akil in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,923 people with the first name Akil, which placed it at #7,776 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#7,776
National first-name rank
People counted
1.9K
1,923 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.6
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
77.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Akil
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Akil is Black at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%) and White (5.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Akil described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Akil at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.5% · 1,491
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.2% · 177
- White5.7% · 110
- Two or more races4.0% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Popularity
Akil: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Akil from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 617 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Akil 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 Akil during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Akils live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. New York, California, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Akil, while Michigan, Ohio, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 59 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Akil
The name Akil is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, with roots tracing back to the ancient Middle Eastern region. The word "Akil" is derived from the Arabic word "aqil," which means "intelligent" or "wise." The name has been in use for centuries, reflecting the cultural value placed on wisdom and intellect in the Arab world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Akil can be found in the historical accounts of the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th century. During this period, several scholars and intellectuals bore the name, reflecting the emphasis on education and scientific pursuits that flourished during that era.
In Islamic literature, the name Akil is mentioned in various religious texts and historical chronicles. For instance, in the Qur'an, the word "aqil" is used to describe those who possess understanding and reason. This association with wisdom and intelligence has contributed to the name's enduring popularity among Muslim communities.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Akil. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Akil ibn Abi Talib (591-670 CE), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a renowned military leader during the early days of Islam. Another prominent bearer of the name was Akil al-Muraghi (1892-1965), an Egyptian scholar and jurist who made significant contributions to Islamic jurisprudence.
In the realm of literature, Akil Awhad (1911-1989) was a renowned Syrian poet and writer, known for his poetic works that explored themes of love, nature, and social justice. His works had a profound impact on modern Arabic literature.
In the field of science, Akil Mahmud (1886-1963) was a Pakistani mathematician and educator who played a crucial role in the development of mathematics education in the subcontinent. He authored several influential textbooks and worked tirelessly to promote the study of mathematics.
Another notable figure was Akil Mertkan (1880-1957), a Turkish general and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Turkey from 1949 to 1950. He was widely respected for his leadership and contributions to the nation's political and military affairs.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Akil throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of the regions they hailed from.
People
Akil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Akil 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
Akil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,070 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Akil 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 165,582 US residents.
Is Akil a common name?
We classify Akil as "Rare". It ranks above 93.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,130 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Akil most popular?
The single biggest year for Akil was 1994, when 82 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Akil is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Akil in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,923 people with the name Akil, or 0.64 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #7,776 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Akil in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Akil?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Akil appears almost entirely male. Of the 1,931 people counted with this name, 99.0% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Akil?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Akil is Black at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%) and White (5.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Akil most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Akil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (1,491 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Akil in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Akil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Akil 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.
Is Akil still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Akil in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Akil can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people share the name Akil?
Want to know how many people share the name Akil? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.