Given name
Onawa
“one who is wideawake”
Onawa is used as a given name. One Native American interpretation is “one who is wideawake.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Native American interpretation is “one who is wideawake.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Native American.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1975. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Onawa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 22
- 0 boys · 22 girls
- Most popular year
- 1977
- 7 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2015. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 7 in 1977.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Onawa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Olisa
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Quana
Quana is used as a given name. One Native American interpretation is “one who is aromatic; sweet-smelling Quanay. Ouana, a Quaai gainaa.”
>99% girls
Kwanita
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Neka
“resembling a wild goose”
>99% girls
Shima
“little mother”
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Tiva
“one who loves to dance”
>99% girls