NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Noa

A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "freedom, motion or movement".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 677 boys.

Noa is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Noa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #244, with 197 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 205 births.

This profile covers 1,660 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 96% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,786 living people in the UK are called Noa. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Noa ranked #244 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 197 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 205 girls were registered as Noa.
  • Noa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #230 in 2024.
  • Noa is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 1,786 living people in the UK are estimated to have Noa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 71.0% of Noa registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#244

2024

Births in 2024

197

Latest year

Peak year

2023

205 births

Estimated living

1,786

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Noa

In England and Wales birth records, Noa has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 29.0% of registrations are for boys and 71.0% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

29% boys
71% girls
Boys677 (29.0%)Girls1,660 (71.0%)

Noa registered for boys

  • Ranked #638 in 2024
  • 59 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (59 births)

Noa registered for girls

  • Ranked #244 in 2024
  • 197 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2023 (205 births)

Meaning

What does Noa mean?

The name Noa has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, with its earliest roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "navah," which means "motion" or "to move." The name is often associated with concepts of movement, change, and progress.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, the name Noa appears as a variation of the name Noah, the biblical figure who built the ark and survived the great flood. This connection suggests that the name Noa may have been used as a shortened form or nickname for Noah in ancient Hebrew tradition.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Noa can be found in the Book of Numbers, where it is mentioned as the name of a daughter of Zelophehad. This reference dates back to around the 13th century BCE, indicating the name's long-standing presence in the Hebrew language and culture.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Noa. In the 1st century BCE, Noa ben Hinnah was a Jewish scholar and scribe who is mentioned in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism.

During the Middle Ages, Noa Acher was a 12th-century Jewish philosopher and poet from Spain. His works explored themes of mysticism and spirituality, contributing to the intellectual and cultural landscape of his time.

In more recent times, Noa Rat was an Israeli singer-songwriter born in 1953. She gained international recognition for her fusion of Israeli and Middle Eastern musical styles, and her songs often carried messages of peace and unity.

Another prominent figure with the name Noa is Noa Kirel, an Israeli singer and actress born in 1991. She rose to fame as a child star and has since established a successful career in both music and television.

Lastly, Noa Deane is a Australian professional surfer born in 1995. He has competed in various prestigious surfing competitions and is known for his innovative and stylish approach to the sport.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Noa over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Noa in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Noa, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 197 births in 2024, compared with 205 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
065130194259199720102024

Decades

Noa by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Noa was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #287 865 5
2010s #745 609 10
2000s #1555 167 10
1990s #2421 19 3

Geography

Where Noa is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Noa. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Noa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #230 in 2024.

Scotland
16
Northern Ireland
4

Across the UK

Noa in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#230 in 2024

14 years of NRS records, 124 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#337 in 2024

3 years of NISRA records, 10 total registered

Related

Names similar to Noa

FAQ

Noa: questions and answers

How popular is the name Noa in the UK right now?

In 2024, Noa was ranked #244 for girls in England and Wales, with 197 births registered.

When was Noa most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 205 babies registered as Noa in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Noa?

A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "freedom, motion or movement".

How many people are called Noa in the UK?

A total of 1,660 babies have been registered as Noa across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 124 more in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Noa most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Noa ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #230 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.