Nearly 19,000 people in Kazakhstan bear the name Abai, nine of whom are women. This unusual statistic was released by the Bureau of National Statistics ahead of Abai Day, celebrated on August 10, reports infohub.kz.
In total, 18,961 people with the name Abai are registered in the country. It is most common among residents of Astana, where 2,186 Abais live. In the Turkistan region, there are 2,008 people with this name, and in Almaty, 1,740.
The oldest Abai in Kazakhstan was born in 1932. The most numerous age group is 30 to 34 years old, comprising 3,267 people.
Meanwhile, the name remains popular among young parents. In the first six months of 2026, 91 newborns were named Abai.
"Despite the name being traditionally considered male, nine women with the name Abai are registered in Kazakhstan," the Bureau of National Statistics said.
The agency also counted Kazakhstani citizens with the name Ibrahim, including variants Ibragim and Ibrakhim. There are 37,844 such people in the country.
Abai's name is also reflected on the map of Kazakhstan. An oblast, a city, three districts, and 26 villages are named in honor of the poet.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that August 10 is celebrated as Abai Day in Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry of Culture and Information, more than 350 cultural, scientific, educational, and sporting events are planned across the country for this date. Festivities will take place in Astana, Almaty, Semey, Shymkent, and other regions, as well as abroad.