NameCensus.

UK surname

Akar

A Turkish surname meaning "to flow," possibly referring to someone living near a stream or river.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Enfield, Haringey and Lewisham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Akar is 245 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

245

2016, ranked #17,049

Peak year

2016

245 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016, ranked #17,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Akar surname distribution map

The map shows where the Akar surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Akar surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Akar over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 6 #33,230
1891 historical 2 #34,436
1901 historical 1 #34,548
1997 modern 61 #31,526
1998 modern 62 #31,735
1999 modern 75 #30,661
2000 modern 84 #29,706
2001 modern 77 #30,277
2002 modern 77 #30,709
2003 modern 85 #29,877
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 114 #25,837
2006 modern 125 #24,611
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 151 #22,323
2009 modern 163 #21,715
2010 modern 194 #19,819
2011 modern 208 #18,783
2012 modern 214 #18,358
2013 modern 232 #17,663
2014 modern 232 #17,761
2015 modern 231 #17,733
2016 modern 245 #17,049

Geography

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Where Akars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Enfield, Haringey, Lewisham and Epping Forest. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Enfield 012 Enfield
2 Haringey 035 Haringey
3 Lewisham 033 Lewisham
4 Epping Forest 013 Epping Forest
5 Enfield 018 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Akar

These lists show first names that appear often with the Akar surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Akar

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Akar, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Akar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Akar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Akar is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Akar is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Akar falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Akar is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Akar, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Akar

The surname Akar is believed to have originated in Turkey, with its earliest known records dating back to the Ottoman Empire period in the 15th century. The name is derived from the Turkish word "akar," which means "flowing" or "running," likely referring to a river or stream near where the family originated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Akar surname can be found in Ottoman tax records from the late 15th century, where it appears as "Akar" in reference to families living in the Anatolian region of modern-day Turkey. It's possible that the name was initially applied as a descriptive term for families residing near a flowing body of water before becoming an established surname.

In the 16th century, the name Akar appears in various Ottoman administrative documents and registers, suggesting that the surname had gained wider recognition and usage by this time. One notable early bearer of the name was Akar Mustafa, a prominent Ottoman scholar and poet who lived in the late 16th century.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, as the Ottoman Empire expanded its influence across the Balkans and other regions, the Akar surname began to appear in records from areas like modern-day Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania, likely due to the migration of Turkish families to these territories.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Akar was Mehmet Akar, an Ottoman military commander who lived in the late 17th century and participated in various campaigns against the Venetians and Habsburgs.

Another notable figure was Halil Akar, a Turkish politician and statesman who served as the Grand Vizier (prime minister) of the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century, from 1827 to 1828.

In the late 19th century, the name appears in records from the city of Thessaloniki (then part of the Ottoman Empire, now in modern-day Greece), where a prominent family of merchants and traders carried the Akar surname.

As for place names associated with the surname, there is a village called Akar in the Turkish province of Konya, which may have been the original homeland of some Akar families in the past.

While the Akar surname is most commonly found in Turkey and among Turkish diaspora communities around the world, it has also been recorded in various other countries, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Akar surname: questions and answers

How common is the Akar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016. That gives Akar a modern rank of #17,049.

What does the Akar surname mean?

A Turkish surname meaning "to flow," possibly referring to someone living near a stream or river.

What does the Akar map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Akar bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.