Kazakhstan has released some unusual statistics: nearly 19,000 people bear the name of the great poet Abai, including some women. This was reported by infohub.kz.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, 18,961 Kazakhstani citizens have been named after Abai. The highest number of people with this name is registered in Astana — 2,186 people, in the Turkistan region — 2,008 people, and in Almaty — 1,740 people.
The oldest Kazakhstani with the name Abai was born in 1932. The most numerous age group is 30-34 years old — 3,267 people.
The bureau noted that the name Abai continues to be popular today. In the first half of this year alone, 91 newborns were given this name. Despite the name traditionally being considered male, there are 9 women registered with the name Abai in Kazakhstan.
Additionally, there are 37,844 people in the country with the name Ibrahim, including spelling variants Ibragim and Ibrakhim.
The poet's name is also widely represented on the country's map. One region, one city, three districts, and 26 villages are named after Abai.
Earlier, Akorda published a congratulatory message from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Abai Day, which is celebrated on August 10, the birthday of the great poet.