Awwab
One who frequently returns or repents to God.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Awwab. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Awwab today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Awwab births was 2008 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Awwab. 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 Awwab with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Awwab. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2008
6 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2008 SSA rank
#11,199
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Awwab: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Awwab 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 Awwab during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Awwab
The name Awwab has its origins in Arabic, derived from the root word "awwaba" which means "to return" or "to repent." It is a masculine name that gained prominence during the early Islamic era, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
Historically, the name Awwab was often associated with individuals who had a deep spiritual connection or those who had embraced a life of devotion and repentance. In some Islamic traditions, it is believed that the name carries a sense of piety and a desire to seek forgiveness from God.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Awwab can be found in ancient Islamic texts and historical chronicles. It is said that during the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from 750 to 1258 CE, there was a renowned scholar and jurist named Awwab ibn Abi Sulayman al-Muqri (born around 760 CE, died 835 CE) who was highly respected for his knowledge of Islamic law and Quranic recitation.
Another notable figure with the name Awwab was Awwab ibn Abdillah al-Ansari (born around 620 CE, died 686 CE), a companion of Prophet Muhammad and one of the early converts to Islam. He is remembered for his bravery and unwavering faith during the early battles of Islamic conquest.
In the realm of literature, Awwab al-Aswad (born around 620 CE, died 688 CE) was a renowned Arabic poet and one of the most celebrated figures of the Umayyad era. His poetic works are known for their vivid imagery and emotional depth, often exploring themes of love, loss, and spiritual contemplation.
The name Awwab also gained prominence in the field of Islamic mysticism, or Sufism. One such figure was Awwab al-Dinawari (born around 828 CE, died 923 CE), a Sufi mystic and poet who was renowned for his spiritual teachings and his impact on the development of Islamic philosophy.
Another historical figure bearing the name Awwab was Awwab ibn Munabbih (born around 620 CE, died 728 CE), a scholar and historian from Yemen who is credited with preserving ancient Arab traditions and stories through his writings, which were widely circulated during his time.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the name Awwab, reflecting its deep-rooted significance in Arabic and Islamic culture.
People
Awwab + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Awwab 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
Awwab: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Awwab?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Awwab 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Awwab a common name?
We classify Awwab as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Awwab most popular?
The single biggest year for Awwab was 2008, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Awwab is about 19 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 Awwab in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Awwab a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Awwab 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 Awwab still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Awwab 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 Awwab 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 many people are named Awwab?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.