Akol
A traditionally masculine name of Nigerian origin meaning "wealth" or "riches".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Akol. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Akol today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Akol births was 2008 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Akol. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Akol. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2008
6 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,320
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Akol: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Akol from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Akol 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 Akol during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Akol
The name Akol is believed to have originated from the Dinka language spoken by the Dinka people of South Sudan. The word "akol" in Dinka means "wealth" or "prosperity." The name likely emerged during the pre-colonial era when the Dinka people thrived as pastoralists and agriculturalists in the region.
Historically, the name Akol does not appear to have been prominently documented in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, it has been a popular name among the Dinka people for generations, often given to male children with the hope that they would grow up to be prosperous and successful members of their community.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Akol was Akol Atem, a renowned Dinka chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his wise leadership and his efforts to maintain peace among the various Dinka clans during a time of territorial disputes and conflicts.
Another notable figure was Akol Buoi, a Dinka warrior and cattle herder who lived in the early 19th century. He gained fame for his bravery and skills in protecting his people's cattle from raids by neighboring tribes. His exploits were often recounted in Dinka oral traditions and folktales.
In the 20th century, Akol Ayieny Alier (1924-2008) was a prominent Dinka politician and diplomat from South Sudan. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the regional government of Southern Sudan in the 1970s and played a crucial role in peace negotiations during the Sudanese Civil War.
Akol Miyen Kuol (1957-2017) was a South Sudanese academic and educator who dedicated his life to promoting education and literacy in his home country. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Juba and was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions in South Sudan.
Finally, Akol Paul Malongkuir (born 1968) is a South Sudanese politician and current Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports. He has been actively involved in the peace and reconciliation efforts in South Sudan and has advocated for the preservation of the country's cultural heritage.
People
Akol + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Akol 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
Akol: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akol?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Akol 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Akol a common name?
We classify Akol as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Akol most popular?
The single biggest year for Akol was 2008, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Akol is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Akol in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Akol a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Akol 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 Akol still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Akol 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 Akol 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Akol?
You can see how many people share the name Akol on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.