Given name & surname
Koa
“a fearless man”
Koa is used as a given name and a surname. One Hawaiian interpretation is “a fearless man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hawaiian interpretation is “a fearless man.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hawaiian.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1978. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Koa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,548
- 7,702 boys · 846 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 1,413 babies
- 2025
- 1,413
- #269 for boys · #1,588 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +250%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 90% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,281 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 269 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 245.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 132 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (169). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,495 as a first name in 2020; 230 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Koa’s family of names
In Filipino usage, Koa as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with CUA. Koa has a related form in Koah. In Filipino usage, Koa as a surname has a related form in CUA.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Koa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Makoa
“brave”
99% boys · 1% girls
Nakoa
“brave”
92% boys · 8% girls
Kaleo
“the” · “voice, tune”
>99% boys
Kekoa
“a warrior”
>99% boys
Keanu
“resembling a cool mountain breeze” · “of the mountain breeze”
99% boys · 1% girls
Kainoa
“the” · “name; namesake”
99% boys · 1% girls
Kaimana
“diamond”
77% boys · 23% girls
Kamaka
“having a handsome face”
>99% boys