2000
#11,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Akhtar
A Persian and Urdu surname meaning "star," often bestowed as an epithet for someone of distinction or fame.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,556 Americans carry the last name Akhtar. That puts it at #5,825 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,281 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Akhtar 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 Akhtar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 52,281
Census rank
#5,825
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,717 bearers of the surname Akhtar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5825th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Akhtar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Akhtar
The surname AKHTAR is of Arabic origin, originating from the Arabic word "akhtar" which means "brighter" or "more beautiful." The name is commonly found among Muslim communities in South Asia, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
The earliest recorded use of the name AKHTAR can be traced back to the 7th century, during the Islamic Golden Age. It is believed that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals who were known for their intellect, wisdom, or exceptional qualities.
In the 13th century, during the Delhi Sultanate period, the name AKHTAR gained prominence as several notable scholars and poets bore this surname. One such individual was Amir Khusrau Akhtar, a renowned Sufi poet, and musician who lived from 1253 to 1325 CE.
The name AKHTAR has been associated with several distinguished figures throughout history. Mirza Asadullah Khan Akhtar, better known as Ghalib (1797-1869), was a prominent Urdu and Persian poet from Delhi. His literary works are widely celebrated and have left an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of the Indian subcontinent.
Another notable figure with the surname AKHTAR is Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958), a renowned scholar, writer, and one of the prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement. He served as the first education minister of independent India.
In the field of sports, Zaheer Abbas Akhtar (born 1947) was a legendary Pakistani cricketer who played from 1969 to 1985. He was known for his elegant batting style and is considered one of the greatest batsmen in Pakistan's cricketing history.
The surname AKHTAR has also been associated with various place names and localities across South Asia. For instance, the village of Akhtarpur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is believed to have derived its name from an individual bearing the surname AKHTAR.
It is important to note that while the surname AKHTAR has its roots in Arabic, its usage and popularity have transcended geographical boundaries, making it a common surname among diverse communities in South Asia and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Akhtar
Among Census respondents with the surname Akhtar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Akhtar 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 Akhtar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.5% · 5,174
- White4.0% · 228
- Two or more races3.5% · 201
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 87
- Black or African American0.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Akhtar
Akhtar 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
#7,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,260
+1,815 bearers (+74.2%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Up 3,949 places
2020
#5,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,717
+1,457 bearers (+34.2%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Up 1,960 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,734 | 2,445 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,785 | 4,260 | 1.44 | +1,815 bearers (+74.2%) | Up 3,949 places |
| 2020 | #5,825 | 5,717 | 1.91 | +1,457 bearers (+34.2%) | Up 1,960 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 Akhtar 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 | #7,785 | #5,825 | 25.2% |
| Count | 4,260 | 5,717 | 34.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.91 | 32.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Akhtar bearers went from 4,260 to 5,717 (+34.2% change). The surname moved up 1,960 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,785 to #5,825.
FAQ
Akhtar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Akhtar?
Name Census estimates that about 6,556 living Americans carry the surname Akhtar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,281 residents.
How common is Akhtar?
Akhtar ranks #5,825 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,717 people with the surname Akhtar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,556), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Akhtar.
Has Akhtar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Akhtar went from 4,260 recorded bearers to 5,717. That is an increase of 1,457 (+34.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,785 to #5,825.
What does the Census say about the background of Akhtar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Akhtar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Akhtar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (5,174 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Akhtar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.5%), White (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Akhtar (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 Akhtar mean?
A Persian and Urdu surname meaning "star," often bestowed as an epithet for someone of distinction or fame. 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 Akhtar (1.91 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 last name Akhtar?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Akhtar, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.