Fatou is the West African form of Fatima, used in Wolof, Mandinka and Fula families in Senegal, Gambia, Mali and Guinea; the Arabic original is usually explained as "one who abstains" or "weaning". Fatima was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. In the United States Fatou is given mostly in West African immigrant families: number 3087 in 2000, a best rank of 2902 in 2003 and number 2968 in 2025.