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

Akhter, 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 Akhter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Akhter in America

Akhter is the 15090th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Akhter surname appeared 1,955 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Akhter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Akhter 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 Akhter

The surname "AKHTER" has its origins in the Persian and Arabic languages. It is derived from the word "akhtar," which means "star" or "planet" in both languages. This name is commonly found among Muslim communities in South Asia, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The surname "AKHTER" can be traced back to the 7th century, when the Islamic conquests brought Arabic and Persian influences to the Indian subcontinent. During this period, many people adopted surnames derived from Arabic and Persian words, reflecting their religious or cultural affiliations.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name "AKHTER" can be found in the writings of the famous Sufi poet, Amir Khusrau (1253-1325 CE), who was born in present-day India. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Hindustani language and is often referred to as the "Parrot of India" due to his exceptional literary talents.

Another notable historical figure with the surname "AKHTER" is Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869 CE), a renowned Urdu and Persian poet from Delhi. His poetry, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, has had a profound influence on the development of Urdu literature.

In the realm of science, Dr. Abdus Salam (1926-1996 CE), a theoretical physicist from Pakistan, made significant contributions to the field of particle physics. He was the first Muslim to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979 for his work on the electroweak unification theory.

Moving to more recent times, Javed Akhter (born 1945) is a celebrated Indian poet, lyricist, and screenwriter. He has won numerous awards, including the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, for his contributions to literature and cinema.

Another notable figure is Fatima Akhter (1928-2022), a Bangladeshi writer and activist who played a significant role in the Bengali language movement and the liberation struggle of Bangladesh. She was awarded the Ekushey Padak, the highest civilian honor in Bangladesh, for her contributions to literature and social reform.

It is important to note that while the surname "AKHTER" has its roots in the Persian and Arabic languages, it has been embraced and adapted by various cultures and communities across South Asia, each with their own unique traditions and histories associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Akhter

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

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

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

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