Fun Facts About the Name Arwa
- More than 1 thousand babies named Arwa: U.S. records list 1,401 babies given the name Arwa from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Arwa Mean?
Arwa (Arabic: أروى) is an Arabic feminine name. Its established meaning is "female ibex" or "female mountain goat." In Arabic, أروى is the feminine noun for the ibex, a wild goat of rocky, mountainous regions; the male is وَعْل (waʿl). The name is literal in origin. Some modern name lists give "graceful" or "beautiful" as a meaning, but those are customary associations with the animal's agility, not a separate etymology.
Arwa Name History & Origins
Arwa is an Arabic name used in the Arabian Peninsula before and during the rise of Islam. Early Islamic genealogies record several women named Arwa: Arwa bint Kurayz was the mother of Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph (ruled 644 - 656), and Arwa bint Abd al-Muttalib was an aunt of Muhammad. These attest to the name's use among Arab families in the 6th and 7th centuries.
A well-known later bearer is Arwa al-Sulayhi (died 1138), a queen of the Yemeni Sulayhid dynasty. She held power after the death of her husband, al-Mukarram Ahmad, moved the capital to Jibla, and was a prominent patron of Ismaili religious and building projects. She is often called Queen Arwa in histories of Yemen.
In English and other non-Arabic languages, Arwa is usually a direct transliteration of the Arabic spelling. It remains in use in Arabic-speaking countries and among Muslim families in other regions.
How Popular is the Name Arwa?
Arwa has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,944 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,944 | 99 | 0.0062% |
| 2024 | #2,167 | 87 | 0.0054% |
| 2023 | #2,019 | 97 | 0.0061% |
| 2022 | #2,254 | 83 | 0.0051% |
| 2021 | #2,676 | 64 | 0.0039% |
| 2020 | #3,064 | 52 | 0.0032% |
| 2019 | #2,564 | 68 | 0.0041% |
| 2018 | #3,055 | 53 | 0.0031% |
| 2017 | #2,817 | 60 | 0.0035% |
| 2016 | #3,236 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2015 | #3,485 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2014 | #3,332 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2013 | #3,224 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2012 | #4,615 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #4,818 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #4,318 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2009 | #4,954 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2008 | #5,304 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2007 | #5,919 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2006 | #5,567 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2005 | #6,856 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #6,809 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #5,105 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2002 | #4,512 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2001 | #6,993 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #6,236 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #6,867 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #5,600 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #6,524 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #9,665 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #7,092 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #8,872 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #8,108 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #7,561 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #8,656 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #6,150 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #7,489 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #4,488 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1986 | #6,645 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #5,699 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1984 | #5,236 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1983 | #5,171 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #7,525 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,365 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #8,232 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #8,516 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #9,172 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Arwa
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with A
Short Girl Names That Start with A
How the Name Arwa Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Arwa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Arwa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.