Given name & surname
Noah
“rest”·“to comfort”·“a peaceful wanderer”
Noah is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “rest” (Hebrew), “to comfort” (Hebrew), and “a peaceful wanderer” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Hebrewנֹחַ
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “rest” (Hebrew), “to comfort” (Hebrew), and “a peaceful wanderer” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Noah through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 534,622
- 529,602 boys · 5,020 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 20,951 babies
- 2025
- 20,826
- #2 for boys · #624 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +5%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 20,358 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 4.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 468 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (2,607). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 372,421 as a first name in 2020; 5,059 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.
Noah’s family of names
Noah shares a linguistic root with Noé. In English usage, Noah has a conventional equivalent in the Czech form Noe. In English usage, Noah has a related form in Noe.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Noah has relatives in 39 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Noah comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 37
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- נֹחַHebrew
- NuhTurkish, Malay
- NojusLithuanian
- നൂഹ്equivalent
- નૂહequivalent
- Нӯҳequivalent
- नूहequivalent
- နူဟ်equivalent
Show 29 moreShow fewer
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Noah
- Noah WebsterAmerican lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, writer, editor and author (1758-1843)
- Noah CyrusAmerican singer and actressborn 2000
- Noah LylesAmerican sprinterborn 1997
- Noah WyleAmerican actor (born 1971)
- Noah CentineoAmerican actorborn 1996
- Noah OkaforSwiss association football playerborn 2000
- Noah BaumbachAmerican filmmaker (born 1969)
- YeatAmerican rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer (born 2000)
- Noah GordonAmerican writer (1926–2021)
Characters named Noah: Puck (the television series Glee), Noah Bennet (fictional character on the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes), Calculator (fictional supervillain).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Noah, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ezra
“help” · “one who is helpful”
95% boys · 5% girls
Micah
“who is like (Yahweh)?”
93% boys · 7% girls
Elias
“Jehovah is my God” · “yahweh is God”
>99% boys
Judah
“praised” · “one who praises God”
98% boys · 2% girls
Zion
“from the citadel”
93% boys · 7% girls
Asa
“doctor, healer” · “born in the morning”
89% boys · 11% girls
Ezekiel
“God strengthens” · “strengthened by God”
>99% boys
Axel
“source of life; small oak” · “axe”
>99% boys