Koa
Boy name · #269 in 2025 · Uniqueness 20/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Koa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Koa in class?
Koa scores 20 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. 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. In 2025 the states with the most Koas were CA (169), TX (131), FL (83), GA (64), NC (59). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 20/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.