# Akhtar

Akhtar (Persian: اختر) (Pashto: اختر) means "star" in Persian and is used in Pashto for Nowruz and Eid Day. It is also a common surname. A variant spelling is Akhter.
Notable people with the given name or surname include:

## Given name
### Akhtar

* Akhtar Ali (1939–2021), Indian tennis player
* Akhtar Ayub (born 1987), Pakistani cricketer
* Akhtar Hussain Badshah, Pakistani politician
* Akhtar Chaudhry (born 1961), Pakistani-Norwegian politician
* Akhtar Hassan Khan Gorchani (born 1958), Pakistani diplomat, politician, and intelligence official
* Akhtar Husain (1912–1992), Pakistani scholar, journalist, and lexicographer
* Akhtar Hussain (1900–1974), Pakistani vocalist and musician
* Akhtar Hussain (1926–1987), Pakistani field hockey player
* Akhtar Hussain (born 1946), Pakistani lawyer, judge, and politician
* Akhtar Hussain (born 1959), Pakistani sarangi player
* Akhtar Hussain (died 1973), Pakistani cricket umpire
* Akhtar Imam (1917–2009), Bangladeshi educationist, feminist, and social activist
* Akhtar Jadoon, Pakistani politician
* Akhtar Jamal, Pakistani journalist and editor
* Akhtar Ali G. Kazi (1944–2010), Pakistani politician
* Akhtar Khan, British journalist and television and radio presenter
* Akhtar Hameed Khan (1914–1999), Pakistani development practitioner and social scientist
* Akhtar Raza Khan (1943–2018), Indian Barelvi Muslim scholar, cleric, and mufti
* Akhtar Aly Kureshy (born 1963), Pakistani lawyer, advisor, and politician
* Akhtar Hussain Langove, Pakistani politician
* Akhtar Hussain Malik (1910s–1969), general of the Pakistan Army
* Akhtar Mansour (1960s–2016), Afghan supreme leader, second leader of the Taliban
* Akhtar Mengal (born 1962), Pakistani politician
* Akhtar Mirza, Indian screenwriter and director
* Akhtar Mohiuddin (1928–2001), Indian novelist, playwright, and short story writer
* Akhtar Mohiuddin (born 1956), Pakistani footballer and coach
* Akhtar Naraghi, Canadian poet, writer, and scholar
* Akhtar Mohammad Osmani (died 2006), Taliban senior leader
* Akhtar Abdur Rahman (1924–1988), Pakistani Senior Army General
* Akhtar Rasool (born 1954), Pakistani field hockey player
* Akhtar Sadmani (1934–2003), Bangladeshi singer
* Akhtar Raza Saleemi (born 1974), Pakistani poet, novelist, writer, critic, and editor
* Akhtar Sarfraz (1976–2019), Pakistani cricketer and coach
* Akhtar Shah (born 2002), Pakistani cricketer
* Akhtar Sheerani (1905–1948), Pakistani poet
* Akhtar Hameed Siddiqui (1947–2017), Bangladeshi politician
* Akhtar ul Iman (1915–1996), Indian Urdu poet and screenwriter
* Akhtar-ul-Islam (born 1947), Pakistani field hockey player
* Akhtar Ali Vario (1933–2008), Pakistani politician
* Akhtar Chanal Zahri (born 1954), Pakistani folk singer

### Akhter

* Akhter Husain (1902–1983), Pakistani politician
* Akhter Mia (1920-1984), Bangladesh politician

### Aktar

* Aktar Islam (born 1980), British-Bangladeshi restaurateur

## Surname
### Akhtar

* Adeel Akhtar (born 1980), British actor
* Aamir Akhtar, Nepalese cricketer
* Ayad Akhtar (born 1970), American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter
* Farhan Akhtar (born 1974), Indian film director
* Gulraiz Akhtar (1943-2021), Pakistani field hockey player
* Jan Nisar Akhtar (1914-1976), Indian poet
* Javed Akhtar (born 1945), film writer and poet from India
* Kabir Akhtar (born 1975), American director and editor
* Saghir Akhtar, Qatari chemist
* Saleem Akhtar (1930-2004), Pakistani former cricketer
* Shamshad Akhtar (born 1954), Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
* Shoaib Akhtar (born 1975), Pakistani former cricketer
* Zoya Akhtar (born 1972), Indian film director

### Akhter

* Mahfuza Akhter (born 1967), Bangladeshi football administrator, member of the FIFA Council
* Doli Akhter (born 1986), Olympic swimmer from Bangladesh
* Moin Akhter (1950–2011), Pakistani television actor
* Salma Akhter (born 1991), Bangladeshi singer

### Aktar

* Cengiz Aktar (born 1955), Turkish scientist
* Mohammad Aktar (born 1962), Afghan wrestler