Koa

Koa - A very unique male name

Koa appeared on the charts for the first time in 1978 on position #1812. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Koa and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Koa? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Koa. The baby boy name Koa was given to 1,260 baby boys in 2025, ranking #269 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,164 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Koa peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 269.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Koa, 1-5?

Koa is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Koa is currently topping the baby name charts in Hawaii at position #30 - and is the least popular in New York at position #459.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Koa is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Koa origin and meaning

Hawaiian

'Warrior, bold and brave' — also the name of a native Hawaiian tree valued for its wood

Koa is a Hawaiian word with two linked associations: the warrior sense and the great koa tree. It appears in US data from 1978 but remained rare until the recent taste for short nature names pushed it from #583 in 2020 to a peak at #269 in 2025.

Attested etymology

Koa is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Koa, pop culture references for the name Koa and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Koa

We've found the following names that sound similar to Koa, sorted by popularity.

Kai / Kash / Kasey / Kase / Kye / Kayce / Kace / Khai / Kay / Khaza /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Koa

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Koa a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Koa?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

KOH-uh · /ˈkoʊə/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

NatureWord nameInternational

Why parents choose it

Koa offers a very short, outdoorsy sound with real Hawaiian roots, and it is more popular now than ever.

Worth knowing

• It comes from Hawaiian language and culture, which families outside that heritage should use thoughtfully.
• People unfamiliar with it may try to say it as one clipped syllable or confuse it with Noah.