Awa
A girl's name with 842 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
Alternative form of Ava (“Burmese city”).
Awa is a girl's baby name of Arabic and African origin, the West African form of Eve — from the Arabic Hawwa, meaning 'life' or 'living.' Awa is one of the most beloved feminine names across Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and other Francophone West African countries.
Short, beautiful, and full of life's vitality, Awa is the name of a woman who carries the first woman's energy — the original mother, reimagined in West African form.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Awa does not map cleanly to a single linguistic tradition in our records, which often indicates a name that has crossed cultural boundaries, been adapted between languages, or emerged from the blending that defines American naming.
Awa’s 842 recorded births suggest it has found a niche — possibly within a specific cultural community, region, or naming subculture within the broader American landscape.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Awa was #3753 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #5446, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 142 | #4740 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 300 | #4806 | — |
| 2000s | 316 | #4490 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 84 | #8330 | — |
The Story of Awa
A Gen Z name
Peaking in 2005, Awa is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Awa are most likely born between 1995 and 2015.
How rare is Awa?
Only about 1 in every 156,522 babies born in 2024 was named Awa — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1992, peaked in the 2000s with 316 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Awa by the numbers
- Would fill 18 school buses
- Meeting one Awa per day would take 2.3 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(32 years, 1992–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23 | #5446 |
| 2023 | 33 | #4278 |
| 2022 | 29 | #4685 |
| 2021 | 30 | #4522 |
| 2020 | 27 | #4771 |
| 2019 | 32 | #4353 |
| 2018 | 32 | #4366 |
| 2017 | 27 | #4941 |
| 2016 | 29 | #4753 |
| 2015 | 26 | #5151 |
| 2014 | 22 | #5825 |
| 2013 | 32 | #4438 |
| 2012 | 37 | #4059 |
| 2011 | 19 | #6599 |
| 2010 | 44 | #3578 |
| 2009 | 22 | #6130 |
| 2008 | 35 | #4370 |
| 2007 | 28 | #5113 |
| 2006 | 28 | #4972 |
| 2005 | 44 | #3410 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Awa a boy's or girl's name?
When was Awa most popular?
How popular is the name Awa?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1992–2024