The story behind Akhtar
Borrowed from Hindustani (through Hindi अख़्तर (axtar) / Urdu اَخْتَر (axtar)) and/or directly from Classical Persian اَخْتَر (axtar, “star”), in turn from Middle Persian 𐭠𐭧𐭲𐭫 (ʾhtl /axtar/), an ancient backformation from 𐭠𐭯𐭠𐭧𐭲𐭫 (ʾpʾhtl /abāxtar/, “planet”), due to a mistaken folk etymology that the first element ab- was a negative suffix, since Zoroastrianism considers the planets to be nefarious "un-stars" due to their astronomically odd behavior. Doublet of Tara and sitara.
Pronunciation
US English (ARPAbet): AE1 K T ER0
This is a US English dictionary reading of the spelling; personal pronunciations may differ. Digits mark stress: 0 is unstressed, 1 is primary, 2 is secondary. Pronunciation source and notation.
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Names Similar to Akhtar
Baxtiyār
Borrowed from Classical Persian بختیار (baxtiyār).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Esther
From Ancient Greek Ἐσθήρ (Esthḗr), from Biblical Hebrew אֶסְתֵּר (ʾestēr). Has been connected to Old Persian 𐎠𐎿𐎫𐎼 (a-s-t-r /star-/, “star”) (whence Middle Persian 𐭮𐭲𐭫…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Hester
From the Latin form of Esther.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Ruxsār
Borrowed from Classical Persian رخسار (ruxsār).
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Serdar
Inherited from Ottoman Turkish سردار (serdâr), from Classical Persian سردار (sardār). By surface analysis, ser + -dar.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Abner
From Hebrew אבנר (Abner, “father of light”). From אָב (av, “father”) + נור (nur, “light”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Akhtar
Ālamgīr
Borrowed from Classical Persian عَالَمْگِیر (ālamgīr, literally “conqueror of the world”). By surface analysis, आलम (ālam) + -गीर (-gīr).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Auraṅgzeb
Borrowed from Classical Persian اَورَنْگزیب (awrang-zēb, literally “Ornament of the Throne”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends B
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Bəhmən
Borrowed from Classical Persian بهمن (bahman).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends N
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Akhtar
Behzat
From Ottoman Turkish بهزاد (bihzâd, behzâd), from Classical Persian بِهْزَاد (bihzād).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends T
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Bəhmən
Borrowed from Classical Persian بهمن (bahman).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Bəhram
Borrowed from Classical Persian بهرام (bahrām).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends M
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length