Fatou

Fatou - A very unique female name

Fatou appeared on the charts for the first time in 1993 on position #3303. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Fatou and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Fatou? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Fatou. The baby girl name Fatou was given to 26 baby girls in 2025, ranking #2629 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 50,133 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Fatou peaked in popularity 24 years ago in 2002 on position 2108.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Fatou, 1-5?

Fatou is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Fatou is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #839 - and is the least popular in Ohio at position #1,188.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Fatou is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Fatou origin and meaning

West African, short form of Fatima

A West African short form of Fatima, from Arabic, 'one who abstains' — the name of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter

Fatou is the everyday form of Fatima across Senegal, Gambia and neighbouring countries, and entered US data in 1993. It carries the full weight of the Fatima tradition in a shorter, warmer form.

Attested etymology

Fatou is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Fatou, pop culture references for the name Fatou and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Fatou

We've found the following names that sound similar to Fatou, sorted by popularity.

Faith / Fayth / Fiadh / Fatiha / Fayetta / Faythe / Faithe /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Fatou

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Fatou a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Fatou?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

fah-TOO · /fɑˈtu/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Fatou Bensouda — Gambian lawyer who served as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (b. 1961) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Fatou is a warm, established West African name with serious international bearers. Outside West African communities most Americans will meet it for the first time.