Fun Facts About the Name Uwais
- 70 babies named Uwais: U.S. records list 70 babies given the name Uwais from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Uwais Mean?
Uwais (Arabic أُوَيْس, also spelled Uways, Owais, or Awais) is an Arabic name usually explained as "little wolf." It is a diminutive of the older Arabic personal name Aws (أَوْس), the Arabic word for "wolf." Arabic forms diminutives on the pattern fuʿayl, so Uwais is literally "small Aws" - a diminutive that expresses smallness or affection rather than a literal reference to an animal.
The sense of Aws itself is debated. Arabic dictionaries most often give "wolf," but some sources gloss it as "gift" or link it to a root meaning "to give." Since Uwais is a diminutive of Aws, its meaning rests on whichever sense of the older name is accepted; "little wolf" is the standard explanation. The name is not one of the names of God in Islam and does not appear in the Quran.
Uwais Name History & Origins
Aws was in use as a personal and tribal name in Arabia before Islam: the Aws were one of the two main Arab tribes of Yathrib, the oasis that later became Medina, alongside the Khazraj. The diminutive form Uwais is attested as a personal name in the earliest Islamic period.
The name is closely associated with Uwais al-Qarni, a Yemeni Muslim of the generation after the Prophet Muhammad's companions. Islamic tradition holds that he never met Muhammad in person but was singled out for praise by him; in a well-known report preserved in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet instructed Umar and Ali to ask Uwais to seek forgiveness on their behalf. He is traditionally said to have died in 657 at the Battle of Siffin and is venerated as one of the most pious of the Tabiʿun. Accounts of his devotion to his mother and his refusal to leave her are part of this traditional picture.
From this figure comes the Sufi term Uwaysi, used for a seeker described as receiving spiritual guidance without a living human teacher. The path is named after Uwais because tradition presents him as inwardly taught despite never meeting the Prophet.
As Islam spread, the name traveled beyond Arabia. It is used in Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula and appears in South Asia in the forms Owais and Awais, as well as in Southeast Asia and East Africa. These regional uses reflect Muslim naming practice rather than separate origins of the name.
How Popular is the Name Uwais?
Uwais 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 2012. Its best rank was #6,607 in 2012.
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 | #9,641 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #9,673 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #10,760 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #13,904 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #8,829 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #12,040 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,071 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #9,599 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #6,607 | 13 | 0.0007% |
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.
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How the Name Uwais Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have talent, charm and luck. You can succeed in art and in any educational occupation. You attract peculiar experiences. Your power and protection lies in spiritual side of life. You are an enthusiastic collector and you will be tenacious in holding onto the things you accumulate. You have a good memory and should make an effort to have a positive attitude. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Uwais's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Uwais's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.