girl's name
Hawa
HA-wah
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Girl
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 11,472
France
#185
2025 births
Hawa is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "living one," the Arabic form of Eve, and in France it arrives from West Africa rather than the Middle East. It ranks 185th in France and is at its peak now.
- Hawa is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in France in 2025, when 310 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,902 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1948.
Hawa over time
Births per decade in France, 1940s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 155 |
| 1980s | 885 |
| 1990s | 945 |
| 2000s | 1,290 |
| 2010s | 1,970 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,695 |
What Hawa means
Hawa means living one, or life, inherited from the Hebrew Chavvah. Genesis explains the name in the text — she is called that because she is the mother of all living — which makes it one of the few names the Bible glosses itself.
Where Hawa comes from
Hawa is the Arabic form of Eve, from the Hebrew Chavvah, related to chayah, to live. Genesis gives the reason directly: the name is bestowed after the expulsion from Eden because she was to be the mother of all living. In Islamic tradition Hawwa is Adam's wife and the mother of humanity, and unlike in some Christian readings the Quran does not single her out for blame — the fault is shared. The name is common across the Arab world and especially in West Africa, where Hawa is a standard name in Wolof, Mandinka and Bambara speech, alongside Aminata, Fatoumata and Mariama. Its French standing follows Senegalese, Malian and Guinean migration rather than Maghrebi, which distinguishes it from most Arabic names in the charts.
Hawa in use
Hawa ranks 185th in France with about 310 births in 2025 and 278th in England and Wales with 165 births, so it is a British name too — reflecting West African communities there as well. It is rising, with its peak in our records in 2025, and our records carry it from 1948. It holds 1,813th in the United States.
How popular is Hawa?
In 2025, Hawa was given to 310 babies in France, ranking #185 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Hawa 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.
How Hawa is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Hawâ | Hawâ is a rare spelling of Hawa, written with a circumflex and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Hawa
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Hawa also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Hawa over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Hawa 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 Hawa
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Hawa — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Hawa
What does the name Hawa mean?
Hawa means "living one," inherited from the Hebrew Chavvah. Genesis explains the name in the text itself.
Is Hawa the Arabic for Eve?
Yes. In Islamic tradition Hawwa is Adam's wife, and the Quran does not single her out for blame.
Is Hawa an African name?
It is Arabic in origin but standard across West Africa, and that is where its French and British use comes from.
How popular is Hawa?
185th in France and 278th in England and Wales.
Is Hawa a girl's or a boy's name?
Hawa is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
Is Hawa a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Hawa currently ranks #185 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.