Askari
An askari or ascari was a local soldier serving in the armies of the European colonial powers in Africa, particularly in the African Great Lakes, Northeast Africa and Central Africa. The word is used in this sense in English, as well as in German, Italian, Urdu, and Portuguese. In French, the word is used only in reference to native troops outside the French colonial empire.
Meaning & Origin of Askari
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
An askari or ascari was a local soldier serving in the armies of the European colonial powers in Africa, particularly in the African Great Lakes, Northeast Africa and Central Africa. The word is used in this sense in English, as well as in German, Italian, Urdu, and Portuguese. In French, the word is used only in reference to native troops outside the French colonial empire.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Askari
Askari first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1993, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2016: 19 births, good for #4,943 nationwide. About 34% of every Askari on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Askari ranks #7,025 for baby boys with 10 births, gradually falling (-9%). All told, over 288 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Askari
Phonetically similar names — useful when Askari is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Askari
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About the name Askari
Askari is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1993 and has accumulated 288 births in the dataset. Askari's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #4,943. Use the chart and map above to compare Askari's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.