Dawa
Dawa Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity
/ta˩˨.waˑ/
Meaning of Dawa: Dawa is a Tibetan name meaning moon or Monday, from the word “zla ba” (pronounced “dawa”). In Tibetan tradition, children are frequently named after the day of the week on which they are born. Monday is the lunar day, making Dawa one of the most common day-names in Tibetan culture.
The practice of assigning day names is embedded in Tibetan Buddhism. Each weekday corresponds to a celestial body — moon for Monday, sun for Sunday, Mars for Tuesday. This system derives from Indian Vedic astronomy, which entered Tibetan culture through Buddhism between the 7th and 11th centuries.
Dawa is genuinely unisex, given to both boys and girls. This gender neutrality is characteristic of Tibetan day names, distinguishing them from most Western naming traditions where gender is typically encoded in the name. Among Sherpa communities in Nepal, Dawa is one of the most frequently encountered names.
What Does Dawa Mean? Origin & Etymology
The name gained international recognition through Nepali Sherpa guides and mountaineers. Several prominent Sherpas named Dawa have summited Everest, bringing the name into Western mountaineering literature from the 1950s onward. Tibetan naming customs are documented by The Himalayan Club.
In the United States, Dawa does not appear in SSA top-1000 records. It is used within Tibetan, Nepali, and Sherpa diaspora communities, particularly in cities with larger Himalayan immigrant populations such as New York and Minneapolis.
For Tibetan Buddhist naming scholarship, Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC) provides authoritative documentation. Notably, Dawa is one of the few names in world naming traditions where both moon and a specific weekday are simultaneously encoded in 1 word.
Numerology & Symbolism of Dawa
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Dawa – Similar Names & Alternatives
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Frequently Asked Questions about Dawa
What does Dawa mean?
Dawa means “moon” and “Monday” in Tibetan. Children born on Monday are often named Dawa in Tibetan tradition, following a naming system based on the 7 days of the planetary week.
How popular is Dawa?
Dawa is rarely used in the United States but maintains its standing in Tibetan, Bhutanese. SSA records show no significant US ranking for this name.
Is Dawa a boy’s or girl’s name?
Dawa is used for both boys and girls in Tibetan and Sherpa tradition. Tibetan day-of-birth names are gender-neutral—any child born on Monday may be named Dawa regardless of sex.
How do you pronounce Dawa?
Dawa is pronounced /ta˩˨.waˑ/. The name originates in Tibetan, Bhutanese tradition.
What are the other Tibetan day-of-birth names as it relates to the name Dawa?
The 7 Tibetan day-birth names are: Nyima (Sunday, sun), Dawa (Monday, moon), Mingma (Tuesday, fire), Lhakpa (Wednesday, water), Phurbu (Thursday), Pasang (Friday), and Pemba (Saturday). All reflect the Indian-origin planetary week adopted through Buddhist tradition.
What are variants of Dawa?
Dawa has no widely established international variants and remains primarily used within Tibetan, Bhutanese tradition.
Is Dawa used outside Tibet and Nepal?
Dawa is used in Tibetan diaspora communities worldwide—particularly in India (Dharamsala), the United States, and Europe following the 1959 Tibetan exodus. Among Sherpa communities in Nepal who guide Everest expeditions, it is one of the most common names.