Find out how popular the last name Aga is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Aga.

Aga, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Aga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aga in America

Aga is the 39004th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aga surname appeared 565 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Aga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aga to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Aga

The surname Aga is of Turkish origin and traces its roots back to the Ottoman Empire in the late 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Turkish word "ağa," which translates to "master" or "chief." It was initially used as a title or honorific for high-ranking military officers, civil servants, and landowners within the Ottoman Empire.

During the height of the Ottoman Empire, the Aga surname was prominently associated with influential families and individuals who held positions of power and authority. Historical records from this era mention several notable figures bearing this surname, including Hüseyin Ağa, a renowned military commander who played a crucial role in the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.

The earliest recorded instances of the Aga surname can be found in Ottoman administrative documents and legal records from the 16th and 17th centuries. These documents often mentioned individuals with the surname in relation to land ownership, tax records, and administrative positions within the Empire.

One of the earliest known references to the Aga surname is found in the Codex Cumanicus, a linguistic manuscript from the 13th century that includes a list of Cuman (Kipchak) words and phrases, including the word "ağa" used as a title.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Aga surname. Ismail Ağa Çelebi, born in the late 16th century, was a renowned Ottoman historian and author who wrote extensively about the history of the Ottoman Empire. Another prominent figure was Mustafa Ağa, a influential military leader who served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, the Aga surname gained prominence with the rise of the Aga Khan family, a prominent Ismaili Muslim dynasty that traced its ancestry back to the Ottoman Empire. The first Aga Khan, Hasan Ali Shah, was born in 1804 and played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of the Ismaili community.

As the Ottoman Empire declined and eventually dissolved in the early 20th century, many families with the Aga surname migrated to various parts of the world, carrying their surname and cultural heritage with them. Today, the Aga surname can be found in communities of Turkish descent across Europe, North America, and other regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aga

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Aga.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Aga was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Aga has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Aga was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Aga, please contact us.

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