Koa
Boy name · #269 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Koa? In official American birth records, Koa has been tracked continuously since 1978, giving it 47 years of documented American history.
Koa is currently the #269 boy name in the United States — 1,281 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1157, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,405 boys born in 2025 was named Koa.
The 47-year story
Koa first appears in the Social Security records in 1978, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,281 babies and a rank of #269. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Koa per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Koa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Koa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Koa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Koa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Koa is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Koa is most common in HI (7.5 per 1,000), NV (1.9 per 1,000), NM (1.5 per 1,000), SC (1.5 per 1,000), ID (1.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.9 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Koa is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Koa
Statistically, parents drawn to Koa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Koda, Kohen, Kylo, Kairo, and Kayce.
KodaKohenKyloKairoKayceSaintAresBodie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Koa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,281 | #269 |
| 2024 | 1,152 | #292 |
| 2023 | 1,119 | #298 |
| 2022 | 941 | #350 |
| 2021 | 536 | #545 |
| 2020 | 477 | #582 |
| 2019 | 326 | #739 |
| 2018 | 278 | #809 |
| 2017 | 223 | #936 |
| 2016 | 153 | #1221 |
| 2015 | 162 | #1157 |
| 2014 | 112 | #1456 |
| 2013 | 113 | #1459 |
| 2012 | 118 | #1407 |
| 2011 | 88 | #1687 |
| 2010 | 75 | #1898 |
| 2009 | 81 | #1825 |
| 2008 | 77 | #1874 |
| 2007 | 56 | #2304 |
| 2006 | 41 | #2784 |
| 2005 | 42 | #2614 |
| 2004 | 39 | #2697 |
| 2003 | 29 | #3186 |
| 2002 | 33 | #2817 |
| 2001 | 17 | #4476 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Koa?
In official American birth records, the name Koa first appeared in 1978 (over 47 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 47 years.
Is Koa a popular boy name?
Koa ranked #269 among boys in 2025 with 1,281 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1157.
When was the name Koa most popular?
Koa peaked in 2025, when 1,281 American boys received the name (ranked #269 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Koa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,405 newborn American boys was named Koa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.