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

Akinleye, 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 Akinleye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Akinleye in America

Akinleye is the 116829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Akinleye surname appeared 149 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 Akinleye.

The history of the last name Akinleye

The surname Akinleye originates from the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. It is a combination of two Yoruba words: "Akin" meaning warrior or brave one, and "Leye" meaning "has approached."

The earliest known written records of the Akinleye surname date back to the late 15th century, found in manuscripts detailing the history of the Oyo Empire, a prominent Yoruba kingdom at the time. These manuscripts mention notable individuals bearing the name, suggesting it was a respected lineage among Yoruba warriors and nobility.

One of the most famous early bearers of the Akinleye name was Akinleye Olurogbo, a renowned warrior and military strategist who served under the Oyo Empire in the late 16th century. His exploits are recorded in oral traditions and historical accounts, and he is credited with several victories against rival kingdoms.

In the 17th century, the Akinleye surname appeared in the records of the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful West African empire located in present-day Benin. A prominent figure from this era was Akinleye Agbonon, a skilled diplomat and advisor to King Houegbadja, who reigned from 1645 to 1685.

The name Akinleye has also been linked to various place names in Nigeria, such as the town of Akinleye in Ogun State, which may have derived its name from an influential family or clan bearing the surname.

Another notable Akinleye was Akinleye Ogunmola, a respected Yoruba chief and landowner who lived in the early 19th century. He played a significant role in mediating disputes between local communities and the British colonial authorities during that period.

In more recent history, Akinleye Adelana (1920-2007) was a prominent Nigerian educator and administrator. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 1976 to 1978 and was instrumental in shaping the institution's growth and development.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Akinleye

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

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 Akinleye 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!