2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ackah
A surname of Akan origin indicating that the bearer is a twin or a descendant of twins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 321 Americans carry the last name Ackah. That puts it at #74,428 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,067,771 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ackah surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ackah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
321
1 in 1,067,771
Census rank
#74,428
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
280
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 280 bearers of the surname Ackah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 74428th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ackah
The surname "ACKAH" has its origins in the West African country of Ghana. It is believed to have emerged in the late 17th century among the Akan people, one of the dominant ethnic groups in Ghana. The name "ACKAH" is derived from the Akan word "akoa," which means "born on Wednesday."
In traditional Akan culture, children were often given names based on the day of the week they were born. These "day names" were an important part of their identity and were closely tied to their personal history and lineage. The name "ACKAH" likely originated as a variation of the day name "Akoa" and eventually became a surname passed down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "ACKAH" can be found in the writings of British colonists and missionaries who visited the region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These accounts often mention individuals with the surname "ACKAH" as they interacted with local communities and documented their observations.
A notable figure who bore the name "ACKAH" was Kwame Ackah, a prominent Ghanaian educator and writer who lived from 1888 to 1963. He played a significant role in establishing and promoting education in Ghana during the colonial period and wrote several influential works on Akan culture and language.
Another individual of historical significance with the surname "ACKAH" was Nana Ackah III, a powerful chief who ruled over the Akwamu kingdom in present-day Ghana during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He is remembered for his military prowess and his efforts to expand and strengthen the Akwamu kingdom.
In the 20th century, Kwasi Ackah was a prominent Ghanaian politician and diplomat who served as a member of parliament and held various ministerial positions in the government. He was also appointed as Ghana's ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
Efua Ackah, born in 1924, was a renowned Ghanaian playwright, poet, and cultural activist. She was a pioneering figure in the development of modern Ghanaian literature and played a crucial role in preserving and promoting Akan cultural traditions through her writing and advocacy work.
While the surname "ACKAH" has its roots in Ghana and the Akan people, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of West Africa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ackah
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ackah bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ackah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.1% · 255
- Two or more races5.0% · 14
- White2.9% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ackah
Ackah appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#90,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
+103 bearers (+102.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 58,833 places
2020
#74,428
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 280
+76 bearers (+37.3%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 16,067 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,495 | 204 | 0.07 | +103 bearers (+102.0%) | Up 58,833 places |
| 2020 | #74,428 | 280 | 0.09 | +76 bearers (+37.3%) | Up 16,067 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ackah surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #90,495 | #74,428 | 17.8% |
| Count | 204 | 280 | 37.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ackah bearers went from 204 to 280 (+37.3% change). The surname moved up 16,067 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,495 to #74,428.
FAQ
Ackah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ackah?
Name Census estimates that about 321 living Americans carry the surname Ackah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,067,771 residents.
How common is Ackah?
Ackah ranks #74,428 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 280 people with the surname Ackah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (321), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ackah.
Has Ackah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ackah went from 204 recorded bearers to 280. That is an increase of 76 (+37.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #90,495 to #74,428.
What does the Census say about the background of Ackah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ackah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (255 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ackah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%), White (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ackah (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ackah mean?
A surname of Akan origin indicating that the bearer is a twin or a descendant of twins. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ackah (0.09 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Ackah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.