Koa
Meaning
brave, warrior; native tree
The story
Koa is Hawaiian for brave, the warrior, and also the islands' great native tree, whose wood built canoes and surfboards, which means the name carries courage and craftsmanship in one syllable pair. It arrived after a night of -lani sisters, a Hawaiian brother among the island girls, and it is surging harder than almost anything: about 480 in the 2000s, 1,800 in the 2010s, and already 6,100 so far this decade, more than three times the full 2010s with years to run, a live riser in Wrenley and Aziel's class. In our records it goes mostly to boys, about 7,700 to 850. The tree grows only in Hawaii and the wood is prized everywhere; the name is now running the same trade route, island-rooted, continent-bound, and appreciating.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Koa peaked in the 2020s.
When you meet Koa
Most people given the name Koa in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Koa deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Koa truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Koa fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Does Koa fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Koa to your family’s tree →