Boy name · Hawaiian
Koa
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: brave, warriorKoa is a boy's name that comes from Hawaiian and means "brave, warrior". It is used in Hawaiian.
- Meaning
- Brave, warrior
- Origin
- Hawaiian
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #269 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Koa
As a boy's name, Koa comes from Hawaiian and means "brave, warrior". It is used in Hawaiian.
Its meaning puts Koa on our names that mean strong and names that mean warrior lists.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Koa on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Koa on 4 lists.
“Brave, fearless; also a prized native hardwood tree”
From Hawaiian names, hawaiian names for boys
“Brave, warrior; Hawaiian, also a native hardwood tree”
From Names that mean strong, names that mean brave
“Brave, warrior; Hawaiian. Also a native Hawaiian hardwood tree”
From Names that mean warrior, warrior names from around the world
“Brave, warrior; Hawaiian, also a prized native tree”
From Strong boy names, boy names that mean brave or bold
How popular is Koa?
- US rank in 2025
- #269
- 1,281 babies, 750 per million boys
- Best rank
- #269 in 2025
- 1,281 babies that year
- Babies since 1978
- At least 7,702
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 1 per million |
| 1990s | 5 per million |
| 2000s | 22 per million |
| 2010s | 88 per million |
| 2020s | 531 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,227 | #938 | #811 | #741 | #582 | #546 | #350 | #298 | #292 | #269 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Koa
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- KekoaThe brave one (Hawaiian, boy)
Names spelled like Koa
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- KonaLeeward side (Hawaiian, unisex)
- KotaPeaceful and big (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- KaiThe sea (Hawaiian, unisex)
- KianAncient, enduring (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- KaanRuler, khan (Turkish, boy)
- KanoaThe free one (Hawaiian, boy)
- KeiBlessing; wisdom (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- KenHealthy, strong; sword (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AndreaManly, brave (Greek, girl)
- AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
- BahadurBrave, valiant (Turkic, boy)
- BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
- BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Koa
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hawaiian
- AlohaLove, affection (Hawaiian, unisex)
- AukaiSeafarer, sailor (Hawaiian, boy)
- HōkūA star (Hawaiian, unisex)
- ʻIolaniRoyal hawk (Hawaiian, unisex)
- IkaikaStrong, powerful (Hawaiian, boy)
- KahiauGiving generously (Hawaiian, unisex)
- KaimanaA diamond (Hawaiian, unisex)
- KaimiThe seeker (Hawaiian, boy)
- KainoaThe name (Hawaiian, boy)
- KaipoThe sweetheart (Hawaiian, boy)
Koa: common questions
What does the name Koa mean?
Koa comes from Hawaiian and means "brave, warrior". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Koa a boy or girl name?
Koa is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 132 girls and 1,281 boys in the US were named Koa, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Koa come from?
Koa comes from Hawaiian and means "brave, warrior". Today it is used in Hawaiian.
How popular is the name Koa?
Koa ranked #269 in the US in 2025, with 1,281 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Koa?
Forms of Koa with the same meaning and origin include Kekoa (Hawaiian).
What middle names go with Koa?
Middle names that flow well with Koa include Basil, Chase, Conrad, Elijah and Ethan. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.