Aws
An Arabic name meaning "One of lofty status, majestic, and revered".
Name Census estimates that about 235 living Americans carry the first name Aws. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Aws today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aws births was 2022 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aws. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Aws with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
235
~ 1 in 1,458,529 Americans
Peak year
2022
35 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,910
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Aws: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aws from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 135 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aws remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aws 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 Aws during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aws' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Michigan, California, New York recorded the most babies named Aws, while New York, California, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aws
The given name Aws has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Arabic word "aws," which means "lion" or "brave." This name was particularly prevalent among the Arabian tribes and clans of the pre-Islamic era.
One of the earliest known references to the name Aws can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature, where it was often used to describe valiant warriors and courageous individuals. It is believed that the name gained popularity during the era of the Arab conquest, when bravery and valor were highly esteemed qualities.
In the 7th century CE, during the early days of Islam, the name Aws gained further significance. It was the name of one of the two prominent tribes in Medina, known as the Aws and Khazraj. These tribes played a crucial role in supporting the Prophet Muhammad and embracing the new religion of Islam.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Aws. One of the earliest recorded examples is Aws ibn Thabit (594-679 CE), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a renowned poet of the early Islamic era. Another prominent figure was Aws ibn Khuzaymah (594-674 CE), a revered companion of the Prophet and a notable military commander during the Muslim conquests.
In the 9th century, Aws ibn Hamdun (780-844 CE) was a renowned Arab poet and scholar from Andalusia, known for his contributions to Arabic literature and poetry. Additionally, Aws ibn Abi Aws (770-830 CE) was a prominent Muslim jurist and hadith scholar from Kufa, Iraq.
During the Abbasid Caliphate, Aws ibn Shuraih (735-810 CE) was a respected Muslim scholar and jurist who served as the chief judge of Baghdad. His legal opinions and rulings were highly influential in shaping Islamic jurisprudence.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the name Aws, reflecting its deep roots in Arabic culture and its association with courage, bravery, and academic excellence.
People
Aws + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aws 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
Aws: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aws?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 235 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aws 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 1,458,529 US residents.
Is Aws a common name?
We classify Aws as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 237 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aws most popular?
The single biggest year for Aws was 2022, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aws is about 8 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 Aws in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aws a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aws 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 Aws still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aws 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 Aws 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 Aws?
See how many people have the name Aws on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.