Fun Facts About the Name Noa
- More than 14 thousand babies named Noa: U.S. records list 14,236 babies given the name Noa from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 2,431 boys received the name Noa - about 1 boy for every 5 girls.
What Does the Name Noa Mean?
Noa is a feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "movement" or "motion." It comes from the Hebrew root n-w-ʿ (נוע), "to move, to wander, to shake," and is written in Hebrew with a final he (נֹעָה).
Separately, in parts of Europe - especially the Netherlands - Noa is used as a feminine form of Noah, the biblical masculine name traditionally explained as "rest" or "comfort." That pairing is customary rather than etymological: the Hebrew feminine Noa (נֹעָה) and the masculine Noah (נֹחַ) are different names built on different roots.
Noa is also a Japanese girls' name. Japanese given names are usually assembled from kanji chosen by the parents, so the meaning depends on the characters used and does not settle into one fixed sense.
Noa Name History & Origins
Noa appears in the Hebrew Bible. In the book of Numbers, Noa is one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, a man of the tribe of Manasseh who left no sons. She and her sisters Mahlah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah asked Moses for their father's land, and their case produced the ruling that daughters could inherit when there were no sons (Numbers 27 and 36). The name stayed in Jewish use and is common in modern Israel, spelled נועה and given to girls, while the similar-sounding masculine Noah (נח) is a different name.
In Christian Europe, Noa was long rare as a girls' name; its modern European use is tied to Noah. In the Netherlands, Noa is well established for girls alongside the boys' name Noah, and it is also used in French-, Spanish-, and Italian-speaking countries. In those settings the biblical flood story of Noah, not the Hebrew Noa of Numbers, is the usual reference.
Noa also occurs as a Japanese girls' name, written with a range of kanji; its use there has separate origins from the Hebrew and European names.
How Popular is the Name Noa?
Noa recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #226 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #226 | 1,348 | 0.0839% |
| 2024 | #253 | 1,259 | 0.0780% |
| 2023 | #298 | 1,045 | 0.0652% |
| 2022 | #298 | 1,069 | 0.0652% |
| 2021 | #329 | 1,001 | 0.0610% |
| 2020 | #465 | 664 | 0.0411% |
| 2019 | #566 | 539 | 0.0321% |
| 2018 | #656 | 450 | 0.0265% |
| 2017 | #727 | 392 | 0.0227% |
| 2016 | #725 | 392 | 0.0221% |
| 2015 | #766 | 370 | 0.0207% |
| 2014 | #937 | 289 | 0.0162% |
| 2013 | #1,007 | 248 | 0.0141% |
| 2012 | #1,049 | 241 | 0.0137% |
| 2011 | #1,052 | 235 | 0.0134% |
| 2010 | #1,113 | 222 | 0.0125% |
| 2009 | #1,138 | 223 | 0.0121% |
| 2008 | #1,262 | 199 | 0.0105% |
| 2007 | #1,261 | 196 | 0.0102% |
| 2006 | #1,266 | 190 | 0.0100% |
| 2005 | #1,487 | 142 | 0.0077% |
| 2004 | #1,679 | 116 | 0.0063% |
| 2003 | #1,387 | 144 | 0.0079% |
| 2002 | #1,582 | 118 | 0.0066% |
| 2001 | #1,775 | 101 | 0.0056% |
| 2000 | #1,569 | 114 | 0.0063% |
| 1999 | #1,782 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 1998 | #1,987 | 76 | 0.0043% |
| 1997 | #2,017 | 71 | 0.0041% |
| 1996 | #1,803 | 82 | 0.0047% |
| 1995 | #3,949 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1994 | #6,228 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #7,349 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #5,652 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1991 | #11,120 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #6,371 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #10,515 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #8,178 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #6,215 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #8,261 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #8,988 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #7,229 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #8,700 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #11,740 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #9,972 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #10,910 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #10,744 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #6,835 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,006 | 225 | 0.0132% |
| 2024 | #985 | 228 | 0.0133% |
| 2023 | #1,277 | 151 | 0.0088% |
| 2022 | #1,336 | 141 | 0.0081% |
| 2021 | #1,694 | 97 | 0.0055% |
| 2020 | #2,251 | 61 | 0.0035% |
| 2019 | #1,882 | 80 | 0.0045% |
| 2018 | #2,160 | 65 | 0.0036% |
| 2017 | #2,476 | 52 | 0.0028% |
| 2016 | #2,061 | 69 | 0.0036% |
| 2015 | #2,185 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 2014 | #2,172 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 2013 | #1,985 | 70 | 0.0037% |
| 2012 | #2,041 | 68 | 0.0036% |
| 2011 | #1,766 | 83 | 0.0044% |
| 2010 | #2,202 | 60 | 0.0031% |
| 2009 | #1,921 | 75 | 0.0038% |
| 2008 | #1,687 | 91 | 0.0045% |
| 2007 | #1,872 | 77 | 0.0037% |
| 2006 | #1,678 | 85 | 0.0041% |
| 2005 | #2,074 | 60 | 0.0030% |
| 2004 | #1,970 | 62 | 0.0031% |
| 2003 | #2,340 | 46 | 0.0023% |
| 2002 | #2,038 | 54 | 0.0028% |
| 2001 | #2,079 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 2000 | #1,635 | 72 | 0.0037% |
| 1999 | #2,330 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1998 | #2,763 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1997 | #3,841 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1996 | #4,331 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1995 | #4,714 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #6,803 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #6,355 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #6,495 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #7,283 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #5,315 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,145 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #5,323 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #6,022 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,753 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,487 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Noa
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with N
Unique Short Girl Names That Start with N
How the Name Noa Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Noa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Noa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.