Fun Facts About the Name Akil
- More than 2 thousand babies named Akil: U.S. records list 2,147 babies given the name Akil from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Akil Mean?
Akil is an Arabic name meaning "wise" or "intelligent." It comes from the Arabic root ʿ-q-l, whose basic sense is "to bind" or "to restrain." From that root comes the noun ʿaql, meaning "reason, intellect, mind," and the adjective ʿaqīl, meaning "one who has ʿaql" - that is, sensible or wise. Akil is an English spelling of that Arabic name; it corresponds to Arabic ʿAqīl (عقيل).
The same Arabic word also entered Turkish as akil, meaning "intellect, reason, mind," and Akil is used as a given name in Turkey with the sense "wise." So Arabic is the language of origin, while the name is used in Arabic-speaking countries, Turkey, South Asia, parts of Africa, and English-speaking countries.
Akil Name History & Origins
Akil belongs to the large group of Arabic names built from the root ʿ-q-l. In the earliest Islamic period, the name ʿAqīl was borne by ʿAqīl ibn Abī Ṭālib, a brother of ʿAlī and a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, who was known for his knowledge of Arab genealogy and poetry. Because of that early association, the name has circulated among Muslim families for centuries, and it travelled with Islam and Arabic-language culture into Persia, South Asia, Anatolia, and parts of Africa.
In Turkey the form Akil reflects the Turkish borrowing of the Arabic noun ʿaql as akil. In English-speaking countries, Akil is chiefly a spelling used by Muslim families and by African Americans, some of whom adopted Arabic names; it also appears as a variant alongside Aqeel and Aqil. It is distinct from similar-sounding names such as Akil in other traditions only by coincidence of sound; the forms treated here share the Arabic root.
How Popular is the Name Akil?
Akil has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1994. Its best rank was #1,268 in 1977.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,405 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2024 | #3,208 | 37 | 0.0022% |
| 2023 | #4,456 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2022 | #4,705 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2021 | #3,426 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2020 | #3,651 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2019 | #2,899 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2018 | #3,529 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #2,717 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 2016 | #3,683 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #3,432 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #3,898 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2013 | #3,664 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2012 | #3,807 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2011 | #3,512 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #3,380 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2009 | #3,334 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2008 | #3,487 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #3,695 | 28 | 0.0013% |
| 2006 | #2,449 | 50 | 0.0024% |
| 2005 | #2,082 | 59 | 0.0030% |
| 2004 | #2,239 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 2003 | #2,782 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2002 | #2,428 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2001 | #2,118 | 49 | 0.0025% |
| 2000 | #2,015 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 1999 | #1,642 | 65 | 0.0034% |
| 1998 | #2,274 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1997 | #1,908 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 1996 | #1,638 | 59 | 0.0031% |
| 1995 | #1,313 | 80 | 0.0042% |
| 1994 | #1,288 | 82 | 0.0042% |
| 1993 | #1,340 | 72 | 0.0037% |
| 1992 | #1,429 | 64 | 0.0032% |
| 1991 | #1,557 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 1990 | #1,565 | 53 | 0.0026% |
| 1989 | #2,906 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1988 | #1,816 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1987 | #2,215 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #2,602 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1985 | #2,116 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1984 | #2,160 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1983 | #1,788 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1982 | #1,464 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1981 | #1,373 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 1980 | #1,496 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 1979 | #1,371 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 1978 | #1,451 | 41 | 0.0025% |
| 1977 | #1,268 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 1976 | #1,572 | 34 | 0.0022% |
| 1975 | #1,429 | 38 | 0.0024% |
| 1974 | #1,520 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1973 | #1,612 | 29 | 0.0019% |
| 1972 | #2,081 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1971 | #3,148 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #4,240 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Akil Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Akil's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Akil's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.