Globally, شوا (Shawa 
, Shua 
, Shoa ) is quite a rare gender-neutral forename. The first name شوا is characteristic of Israel, where it is a rare gender-neutral name, Ethiopia, where it is a rare girly name, and Iraq, where it is a rare unisex name. In absolute terms, it is the most numerous in India, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. More prevalently, شوا is the last name as well as the forename.
| VARIANT | COUNTRY |
|---|---|
| Shawa | Syria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Egypt, Zambia |
| Shua | China, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, India, Japan |
| Shoa | Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, India, Japan |
| شوا | Syria, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Territory, Egypt, Sudan |
شوا is also a name for the fictitious and mythical characters: Shua , the Biblical character; Canaanite; father-in-law of Judah, Genesis 38.