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Aws

Boy name · 4 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Aws: 4 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 4 births in 2025.

Though uncommon in Scotland, Aws is a distinguished masculine name of Arabic origin, meaning "gift" or "bestowal" — derived from the root word ʿaws, connoting generosity. It was borne by Aws ibn Thaʿlaba, a prominent companion of the Prophet Muhammad and early Islamic jurist, as well as Aws ibn Ḥajar, a celebrated pre-Islamic poet whose work survives in classical anthologies. While no modern place in Scotland shares the name, the Arabic root appears in place names across the Middle East, such as the Wadi Aws in Yemen. Aws shares a conceptual kinship with the Gaelic name Aodhán, meaning "little fire" — both names, from vastly different cultures, carry a sense of brightness and bestowal.