2000
#28,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 804
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Akram
Most generous, charitable, or hospitable, derived from the Arabic root K-R-M meaning "generosity" or "hospitality."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,410 Americans carry the last name Akram. That puts it at #13,778 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,222 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Akram 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 Akram with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,222
Census rank
#13,778
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,102 bearers of the surname Akram in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13778th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Akram, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.3%) and White (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Akram
The surname AKRAM has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the Arabic word "Akram", which means "most generous" or "most noble". This surname is predominantly found in regions with a significant Muslim population, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.
The name AKRAM can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic expansion and the spread of the Arabic language. It is believed that the name was initially adopted as a personal name by individuals who embodied the qualities of generosity and nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname AKRAM can be found in historical records from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled a significant portion of the Middle East and North Africa between the 8th and 13th centuries. During this period, the name appears in various administrative documents and legal contracts.
In the Indian subcontinent, the surname AKRAM gained prominence during the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire, which ruled over the region from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Many individuals with the surname AKRAM held prominent positions within the courts and administrations of these empires.
Notable historical figures with the surname AKRAM include Abul Fazl Akram (1551-1602), a renowned scholar and chronicler during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Another prominent figure was Mirza Akram Khan (1761-1831), a military commander and statesman who served under the Nawab of Awadh in present-day India.
In the 19th century, the surname AKRAM can be found in records from the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. One example is Akram Efendi (1823-1892), a prominent Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The name AKRAM has also been associated with several notable scholars and intellectuals throughout history, such as Akram Khurshid (1888-1967), a renowned Pakistani historian and educator, and Akram Riḍā Aḥmad (1856-1927), an Egyptian scholar and reformist who played a crucial role in the Islamic modernist movement.
While the surname AKRAM has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has been adopted by individuals from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations or historical ties to the Arabic world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Akram
Among Census respondents with the surname Akram, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.3%) and White (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Akram 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 Akram surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander73.4% · 1,542
- Black or African American10.3% · 217
- White9.8% · 206
- Two or more races5.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Akram
Akram 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
#19,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,391
+587 bearers (+73.0%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 8,624 places
2020
#13,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,102
+711 bearers (+51.1%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 5,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,049 | 804 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,425 | 1,391 | 0.47 | +587 bearers (+73.0%) | Up 8,624 places |
| 2020 | #13,778 | 2,102 | 0.70 | +711 bearers (+51.1%) | Up 5,647 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 Akram 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 | #19,425 | #13,778 | 29.1% |
| Count | 1,391 | 2,102 | 51.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.70 | 49.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Akram bearers went from 1,391 to 2,102 (+51.1% change). The surname moved up 5,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,425 to #13,778.
FAQ
Akram surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Akram?
Name Census estimates that about 2,410 living Americans carry the surname Akram. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,222 residents.
How common is Akram?
Akram ranks #13,778 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,102 people with the surname Akram. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,410), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Akram.
Has Akram become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Akram went from 1,391 recorded bearers to 2,102. That is an increase of 711 (+51.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,425 to #13,778.
What does the Census say about the background of Akram?
Among Census respondents with the surname Akram, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.3%) and White (9.8%). 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 Akram in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (1,542 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Akram appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (73.4%), Black (10.3%), White (9.8%). 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 Akram (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 Akram mean?
Most generous, charitable, or hospitable, derived from the Arabic root K-R-M meaning "generosity" or "hospitality." 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 Akram (0.70 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 Americans have the surname Akram?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.