Awa
How to say it: a-WA · /aˈwa/
West African form of Arabic Hawwa meaning 'living one' - very popular in Senegal and Mali.
Awa was the 3,499th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 28 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 6% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #3,787 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #3,499 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 28 |
| Share of births | 1 in 118,405 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +6% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #3,787 |
| In France, 2025 | #309 among girls’ names, 180 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Awa is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Awa is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English, French.
In France: #309 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Awa
- Awa Marie Coll-Seck (born 1951)Senegalese politician and medical doctor
- Awa Traoré (born 1980)Malian actress, filmmaker
- Awa Thiam (born 1950)Feminist from Senegal
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Awa
In the same lists
Find names you'll both love, starting with Awa
The one-minute style quiz.