girl's name
Fatoumata
fa-too-ma-TA
- Origin West African
- Gender Girl
- Letters 9
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 15,259
France
#93
2025 births
Fatoumata is a girl's name, the West African form of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. It ranks ninety-third in France and is one of the clearest markers of West African naming in the French records.
- Fatoumata is a name of West African origin.
- Peaked in France in 2024, when 570 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,072 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1963.
Fatoumata over time
Births per decade in France, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 20 |
| 1970s | 260 |
| 1980s | 1,530 |
| 1990s | 1,775 |
| 2000s | 2,470 |
| 2010s | 2,990 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,885 |
What Fatoumata means
Fatoumata carries the meaning of Fatima, usually glossed as one who abstains or one who weans. The Arabic root fatama means to wean or to separate, so the traditional reading describes someone kept from something.
Where Fatoumata comes from
Fatoumata is the Mandinka, Bambara and Fula rendering of Fatima, adapted to the sound patterns of West African languages, which favor open syllables and so extend the Arabic Fatimah. Fatima was the daughter of Muhammad and Khadijah and the wife of Ali, and is among the most venerated women in Islam; the Shia trace the Prophet's line through her. The name traveled with Islam across the Sahara from the eleventh century and is now among the most common women's names in Mali, Senegal, Guinea and the Gambia. Its French presence follows migration from those countries directly.
Fatoumata in use
Fatoumata ranks ninety-third in France with about 550 births in 2025 and its peak in our records is 2024. Our data carries it from 1991. It appears only marginally elsewhere — beyond 900 in Scotland and beyond 1,000 in Ireland — which makes it one of the most specifically French names we hold, and a direct reflection of which countries France draws migration from.
How popular is Fatoumata?
In 2025, Fatoumata was given to 550 babies in France, ranking #93 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Fatoumata is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Fatoumata
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Fatoumata also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Fatoumata over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Fatoumata
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Fatoumata in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Fatoumata
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Fatoumata — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Fatoumata
What does the name Fatoumata mean?
It carries the meaning of Fatima, usually glossed as "one who abstains" or "one who weans."
Is Fatoumata the same as Fatima?
Yes. It is the West African form, adapted to languages that favor open syllables.
Where is Fatoumata most used?
Mali, Senegal, Guinea and the Gambia, and in France through migration from those countries.
What is the short form?
Fatou is the usual one.
How popular is the name Fatoumata?
In 2025, Fatoumata was given to 550 babies in France, ranking #93 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Fatoumata a girl's or a boy's name?
Fatoumata is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
When was Fatoumata most popular?
Fatoumata peaked in 2024, when 570 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Fatoumata a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Fatoumata currently ranks #93 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.