What Do You Call Someone From Uzbekistan? (Helpful Content!)

Someone from Uzbekistan is called an Uzbek. This is the standard demonym for a person of Uzbek nationality or descent. The term could also simply apply in a residential sense. Equally, Uzbekistan comprises multiple distinct ethnic groups who are all, in a legal sense, Uzbek, and yet their ethnic identity may well be more important to them.

To be an Uzbek, then, might mean something slightly different to different people.

Depending on the context it could simply be a question of nationality or it could be a deeper question of ethnic and historical identity.

Either way, the term you are looking for when you’re referring to someone from Uzbekistan is Uzbek.

Let’s find out more.

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What is someone from Uzbekistan called?

Someone from Uzbekistan is called an Uzbek.

This is the simple answer in terms of the standard demonym for a person from Uzbekistan, though.

In reality, though, the answer to a question like this tends to be a lot more complex than you might at first think.

Firstly, it’s important to remember that out modern sense of the nation state is a relatively recent thing, and this is mostly where we derive the sense of nationality.

There are many ways you might be Uzbek, regardless of nationality; obviously, if you are born to Uzbek parents in the country then this is a pretty clear cut case.

On the other hand, if you were born to Uzbek parents outside of Uzbekistan, you may or may not be a citizen, but you would certainly feel yourself to be Uzbek in a very important way.

On the inverse, if you were born in Uzbekistan to non-Uzbek parents, then doubtless you are still going to grow up with a sense of Uzbek identity.

So, it’s never just as simple as looking at one’s legal nationality.

On the other hand, there are important questions of ethnic identity.

Ethnic Uzbeks, of course, are the dominant part of the population but they are by no means the only group.

They make up around 84.5% of the population, and naturally represent the ethnic backbone of the country.

But you also have minorities making up large parts of the population, such as the 5% Tajiks, 2% Kazakhs, 2,2% Karakalpaks and 2.% Russians.

Another 4% of the population is then made up of other minority groups.

Any of these people may legally be Uzbeks, but they may feel their ethnic identity to be far more important to who they are.

Where does the name Uzbekistan come from?

The ultimate origin of the word Uzbek remains disputed.

The “stan” ending is a very common part of a country’s name in this part of the world and simply means “land of”.

So, the simple answer is most likely that the land came to be called Uzbekistan after the people who lived there.

But for a precise meaning of the word Uzbek, etymologically speaking, we must look to some debate.

There are three main views on the meaning of the word.

One is that it means something like “one’s own master,” from the Turkic Uz meaning “own”and “bek” meaning “master” or “leader”.

Another suggests that the country is eponymous with the Khan Oghuz Khagan, also known as Oghuz Beg. the final theory is that it is a contraction of Uguz, meaning again the tribe of people that lived there.

We can’t really be sure, so again the general answer is probably that the people who lived in the country were given a particular name, and then the country ultimately was named after that–rather than the other way around.

This is very often the case when you have the stan suffix at the end.

What languages are spoken in Uzbekistan?

Many different languages are spoken in Uzbekistan and this further reflects the diversity of the nation.

The national, official language that is spoken by the majority of people is Uzbek.

Most people will at least know this as a second language for getting by in Uzbekistan even if their own native language happens to be something else.

The other official language is the language of the Karakalpak people.

Russian is very widely spoken in the country, too.

Beyond that, there are many languages spoken to some degree among the population, including Tajik, Koryo-mar, Turkmen, Ukrainian, and Azerbaijani.

Where do Uzbeks live?

One final point to consider is the Uzbek diaspora and what part this might play in overall Uzbek identity.

The total global population of Uzbeks is estimated around 35 million. Of these 35 million, around 27 million live in Uzbekistan itself.

The next largest population of Uzbeks can be found in Afghanistan, where there are around 3.5 million Uzbeks living.

There are around 845,000 Uzbeks living in Tajikistan, around 600,000 in Kazakhstan, 558,000 in Turkmenistan and around 380,000 in Russia.

Again, the point is that all of these people may legally be something other than Uzbek–but no doubt the most important part of their identity remains their Uzbek heritage.

So, again, these questions are never quite as clear cut as you might at first expect.

There is a simple answer, and that’s that someone Uzbekistan is called an Uzbek, but this doesn’t scratch the surface of the detail which lies underneath.

Uzbeks are a diverse and multiethnic people that are doubtless identified in many different ways from their own perspective, and so the question tends to be a much more individual one.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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