UK girl's name
Awa
A Polynesian name meaning "river" or "valley".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Awa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Awa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2771, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 17 births.
This profile covers 234 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 2000 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 53% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 233 living people in the UK are called Awa. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Awa ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 17 girls were registered as Awa.
- • About 233 living people in the UK are estimated to have Awa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2771
2024
Births in 2024
9
Latest year
Peak year
2019
17 births
Estimated living
233
2026
Meaning
What does Awa mean?
The name Awa has its origins in the Yoruba language of West Africa, specifically in present-day Nigeria. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Yoruba word "awa," which means "a beautiful or handsome person."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Awa can be found in the oral traditions and folklore of the Yoruba people. It is said that Awa was the name of a renowned warrior princess who fought alongside her father, the king, in battles against neighboring tribes.
In the 16th century, the name Awa gained prominence among the Yoruba nobility and ruling class. Awa, the daughter of Oba (King) Agboniregun, was a respected and influential figure in the Oyo Empire during this time.
As the transatlantic slave trade intensified, many Yoruba people, including those with the name Awa, were forcibly taken to the Americas. This led to the name being introduced and adopted in various parts of the Caribbean and South America.
One notable figure in history with the name Awa was Awa Njeri, a Kenyan freedom fighter and activist who played a pivotal role in the Mau Mau uprising against British colonial rule in the 1950s.
Another prominent individual with the name Awa was Awa Thiam, a Senegalese writer, and feminist activist born in 1941. Her works, such as "Black Sisters, Speak Out," explored issues of gender, race, and identity in postcolonial Africa.
In the realm of sports, Awa Guissé, a Senegalese basketball player born in 1985, has represented her country at numerous international tournaments and competitions.
The name Awa has also been used in literature, with Awa Press being a notable independent publishing house based in New Zealand, founded in 1975 and dedicated to promoting Pacific and indigenous writers.
Awa Tsireh, a renowned Pueblo painter and potter from the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico, was born in 1898 and is celebrated for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Native American art and culture.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Awa over time
The chart below shows babies named Awa registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Awa, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 17 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Awa by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Awa was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2978 | 45 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2499 | 114 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2874 | 75 | 10 |
Related
Names similar to Awa
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Awa: questions and answers
How popular is the name Awa in the UK right now?
In 2024, Awa was ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.
When was Awa most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 17 babies registered as Awa in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Awa?
A Polynesian name meaning "river" or "valley".
How many people are called Awa in the UK?
A total of 234 babies have been registered as Awa across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.