Noa
Noa was the 226th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,348 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 541 places. More babies were named Noa in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew
Say it NOH-uh /ˈnoʊə/
- Rank in 2025
- #226 girls, up 239 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,348girls
- Girls and boys
- 87% girls, 13% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,348 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,249babies recorded
What does the name Noa mean?
Noa has more than one source. In Hebrew, Noa (no'ah) is one of the five daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 26:33, where English Bibles often spell it Noah; the text does not explain the name and its meaning is uncertain. It is also used in Hawaii, and as a Spanish and Catalan surname, which Wiktionary lists. It is distinct from the boy's name Noah (Hebrew Noach), which is spelled differently in Hebrew.
נֹעָה (Biblical Hebrew, “a daughter of Zelophehad”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The biblical name's meaning is unknown; the name is also used independently in other languages.
Related names: Noah, Noah (girls), Noya.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Noa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Numbers 26.33, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Noa popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #226 | #1,006 | 1,348 | 225 |
| 2020 | #465 | #2,254 | 664 | 61 |
| 2010 | #1,113 | #2,202 | 222 | 60 |
| 2000 | #1,569 | #1,635 | 114 | 72 |
| 1990 | #6,371 | — | 14 | — |
| 1980 | #9,970 | #6,022 | 6 | 6 |
| 1970 | #6,837 | — | 7 | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Noa, counting every spelling?
Noa has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #254 for girls in 2025, against #226 on the official list, because Kaylee/Kaeli/Keily and Maisie/Maisy/Mazie and Journee/Journey/Journi move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Noa?
1,348 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Noa (0.37 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Noa born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Noa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Noa?
About 11,700 people born in the US named Noa are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 13. That makes Noa a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Noa by state
How common Noa was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.3×), Hawaii (3.8×), Maine (2.0×), New York (2.0×), Connecticut (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, Mississippi, Rhode Island.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Noa: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Noa, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Noa · Sibling names for Noa
Questions about the name Noa
What does Noa mean?
The origin of Noa is uncertain: the biblical name's meaning is unknown; the name is also used independently in other languages.
How popular is the name Noa?
Noa was the 226th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,348 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 541 places. More babies were named Noa in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Noa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 87% girls, 13% boys given the name Noa in the US.
Where is Noa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Noa was most common in District of Columbia (3.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by Hawaii and Maine.