Koa
A Hawaiian word meaning brave or bold, used also of a warrior and of the native koa tree prized for its wood.
Koa in 2025
Koa was given to 1,413 babies in the United States in 2025 — 1,281 boys and 132 girls, making it the 477th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,346 babies born.
The history of Koa
Koa reached its highest point in 2025, when 1,413 babies were given the name, ranking 477th that year.
Across the 48 years of records since 1978, 8,548 babies have been named Koa. Half of them were born before 2022, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Koa by decade
| Decade | Babies named Koa | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12 | 11,814 |
| 1980s | 34 | 8,639 |
| 1990s | 96 | 8,192 |
| 2000s | 481 | 3,733 |
| 2010s | 1,797 | 1,432 |
| 2020s | 6,128 | 477 |
Where Koa is heading
Koa has grown more than 8.2 times over the past decade, from 173 babies in 2015 to 1,413 in 2025.
Names like Koa
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Koa.