Akbar

Meaning of Akbar

Akbar, a masculine given name of Arabic derivation, originates from the comparative morphological form of kabīr (“great”), thereby literally conveying the notion of “greater.” Historically, its prominence is inextricably linked to the Mughal emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (1542–1605), whose sobriquet “the Great” epitomizes a period of unparalleled imperial consolidation and cultural synthesis on the Indian subcontinent. Etymologically allied to the exclamation Allahu Akbar (“God is greatest”), the name occupies a semantic field characterized by supremacy and ascendancy. In onomastic practice within the United States, Akbar has maintained a modest yet consistent presence, with single- to low-double-digit annual occurrences since the 1960s and a current Social Security Administration ranking proximate to the 900th position. This steady pattern of adoption, when analyzed alongside its historical and theological resonances, underscores a technical consistency in both phonetic rendering—as /ækˈbɑr/ in Arabic transliteration—and orthographic representation. Consequently, the name appeals to parents seeking a designation underpinned by substantive lineage, quantifiable usage metrics, and a vocabulary of grandeur that remains both culturally significant and technically precise.