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

Agha, 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 Agha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Agha in America

Agha is the 26910th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Agha surname appeared 902 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 Agha.

We can also compare 2010 data for Agha 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 Agha

The surname "AGHA" has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Persian and Turkish cultures. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 9th to 13th centuries.

The name "AGHA" is derived from the Turkish and Persian word "ağa," which means "master" or "lord." It was initially used as a title or honorific for high-ranking officials, military commanders, or landowners in the Ottoman Empire and Persia.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "AGHA" can be found in Persian literature and historical texts from the 10th century. It was often used to refer to noblemen, military leaders, or influential figures in the region.

In the 13th century, the name "AGHA" appeared in the writings of the famous Persian poet Rumi, who mentioned an "Agha Shams al-Din" in his works. This individual was a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher who had a profound influence on Rumi's life and poetry.

During the reign of the Mughal Empire in India, which lasted from the 16th to the 19th century, the name "AGHA" was adopted by some Muslim families as a surname. One notable figure was Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar, who founded the Qajar dynasty and ruled as the Shah of Persia from 1789 to 1797.

In the 18th century, the name "AGHA" was also recorded in the Ottoman Empire, where it was used by influential families and military leaders. One prominent figure was Agha Muhammad Amin Oglu, a Caucasian general who played a significant role in the Russo-Persian Wars of the early 19th century.

Another notable individual with the surname "AGHA" was Agha Petros, an Armenian military leader and revolutionary who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century. He was born in 1857 and became a prominent figure in the Armenian national liberation movement.

In the 20th century, the name "AGHA" gained prominence in various parts of the world, including Pakistan, India, and the Middle East. One famous individual was Agha Hasan Abedi, a Pakistani banker and philanthropist who founded the United Bank Limited in 1959 and played a crucial role in the development of Pakistan's banking system.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Agha

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

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 Agha 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 Agha 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 Agha was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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