Gaoussou
An Arabic masculine name meaning "the most generous".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Gaoussou. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gaoussou today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gaoussou births was 2003 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gaoussou. 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 Gaoussou. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2003
5 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2003 SSA rank
#11,470
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Gaoussou: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gaoussou 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 Gaoussou 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gaoussou
The name Gaoussou has its origins in the Malinke language, spoken by the Mandinka people of West Africa. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic name Ghaus, which means "helper" or "intercessor." The Mandinka people, primarily found in Gambia, Guinea, and Mali, adopted this name during the spread of Islam in the region.
In the 13th century, the Mali Empire, a prominent West African empire, emerged as a center of Islamic learning and culture. It is possible that the name Gaoussou gained popularity during this time, as Islamic names and traditions became more prevalent in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gaoussou can be found in the Tarikh al-Fattash, a historical chronicle written in the 17th century by the Timbuktu scholar Mahmud Kati. This text mentions a prominent scholar and religious leader named Gaoussou Diallo, who lived in the late 16th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gaoussou. One of the most famous was Gaoussou Diawara (c. 1730-1808), a renowned Islamic scholar and teacher from the Bambara kingdom (present-day Mali). He was known for his extensive knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the spread of Islam in the region.
Another prominent figure was Gaoussou Cissé (1864-1938), a Senegalese religious leader and founder of the Murid brotherhood, a influential Sufi order in West Africa. He played a significant role in the spiritual and cultural development of Senegal during the colonial era.
In the 20th century, Gaoussou Konaté (1918-1992) was a celebrated Malian diplomat and politician. He served as the first Ambassador of Mali to the United Nations and later became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Gaoussou Kanoute (born 1981) is a former professional footballer from Mali who played for several clubs in Europe, including Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United in the English Premier League.
Gaoussou Fofana (born 1991) is a Malian professional footballer currently playing for Al-Faisaly FC in Saudi Arabia. He has also represented the Mali national team in international competitions.
People
Gaoussou + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gaoussou as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gaoussou: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gaoussou?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gaoussou 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Gaoussou a common name?
We classify Gaoussou as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gaoussou most popular?
The single biggest year for Gaoussou was 2003, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gaoussou is about 23 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 Gaoussou in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gaoussou a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gaoussou 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 Gaoussou still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gaoussou 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 Gaoussou 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 have Gaoussou as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.