10 women in Kazakhstan named Abai, statistics reveal
Tengrinews.kz - As Kazakhstan marks the 180th anniversary of Abai Qunanbaiuly, the country’s revered poet and philosopher, the Bureau of National Statistics has released intriguing data related to his name.
According to official records, there are 18,763 people in Kazakhstan currently named Abai. While the name is traditionally male, the bureau revealed that 10 women in the country also bear the name.
The highest number of people named Abai reside in:
Astana – 2,089 individuals
Turkestan Region – 2,018
Almaty – 1,719
The oldest person with the name was born in 1932, while the name is most common among those aged 30–34, with 3,228 individuals in that age group.
In the first half of 2025, 157 newborns were given the name Abai, continuing its popularity across generations.
Abai’s name is also commemorated across Kazakhstan through geography: one region, one city, three districts, and 26 villages bear his name.
The bureau also highlighted that 35,404 people in Kazakhstan are named Ibrahim (with variants Ibragim, Ibrakhim) — Abai’s given name before he became known by his more famous mononym.
Kazakhstan celebrates Abai Day annually on August 10, honoring the legacy of one of the nation's most influential cultural figures.
As of July 1, Kazakhstan’s total population stood at 20,387,811, with a monthly increase of over 17,100 people, according to the bureau.