Aweys
A Somali masculine name derived from the Arabic meaning "gift" or "blessing".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Aweys. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Aweys today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aweys births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aweys. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Aweys. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2010 SSA rank
#12,424
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Aweys: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aweys from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aweys by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aweys during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aweys
The name Aweys is believed to have its origins in the Somali language, spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa region. It is a masculine name that has been in use for centuries among the Somali people, who have a rich cultural heritage deeply rooted in oral traditions and Islamic influences.
In the Somali language, the name Aweys is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "awais," which means "comforter" or "consoler." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be a source of solace and comfort for those around them.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Aweys can be traced back to the 13th century, during the reign of the Ajuran Sultanate, a medieval Somali empire that dominated parts of the Horn of Africa. Historical records from this period mention notable figures bearing the name, though specific details about their lives and accomplishments are scarce.
One of the most renowned individuals with the name Aweys was Sheikh Aweys al-Barawi, a revered Somali scholar and religious leader who lived in the 16th century. He was widely respected for his profound knowledge of Islamic teachings and his contributions to the spread of Islam in the region.
In the 19th century, another prominent figure named Aweys emerged – Aweys Mohamoud Qalafo, a Somali nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the resistance against European colonialism in the Horn of Africa. His bravery and leadership during this period earned him a place in Somali history.
Another notable bearer of the name was Aweys Mahmud Gedi, a Somali politician and diplomat who served as the President of the Somali Youth League (SYL), a prominent political organization that played a crucial role in Somalia's independence movement in the 1940s and 1950s.
In more recent times, the name Aweys has been carried by individuals like Aweys Osman Qadi, a Somali politician and former military leader who served as the President of the Somali regional state of Galmudug from 2001 to 2004.
While the name Aweys has its roots in the Somali culture and language, it has also gained popularity in neighboring countries and regions with significant Somali populations, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and parts of the Middle East.
People
Aweys + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aweys as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aweys: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aweys?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aweys going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Aweys a common name?
We classify Aweys as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aweys most popular?
The single biggest year for Aweys was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aweys is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aweys in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aweys a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aweys in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Aweys still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aweys in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aweys can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Aweys?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Aweys at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.