Jawara

Jawara is a surname of Gambian origin. It is most widely associated with Dawda Kairaba Jawara, commonly known as Dawda Jawara, a Gambian politician who served as Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970 and then as the first President of The Gambia from 1970 until 1994. He died in 2019 after a long career that helped shape the country’s early post-colonial period.

The name is found among Gambians and members of the Gambian diaspora, and it appears in various contexts related to public life, politics, and ordinary family histories. While Dawda Jawara is the most prominent bearer of the surname, there are other individuals with the same name who have contributed to public affairs, business, and community life in The Gambia and abroad.

Etymologically, Jawara is a patronymic surname tied to Gambian naming traditions and has become a recognizable identifier within Gambian history and identity. The surname carries associations with a significant era in The Gambia’s political development and continues to appear in contemporary discussions of the country’s heritage.