Nakoa
Boy name · #1606 in 2025 · Uniqueness 53/100
Nakoa is currently the #1606 boy name in the United States — 106 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4407, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,981 boys born in 2025 was named Nakoa.
Babies named Nakoa per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 48-year story
Nakoa first appears in the Social Security records in 1977, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 116 babies and a rank of #1518. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nakoa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nakoa in class?
Nakoa scores 53 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Nakoa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Nakoa is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Nakoas were CA (19), CO (8), WA (8), GA (7), HI (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Nakoa
Statistically, parents drawn to Nakoa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Makoa, Tekoa, Noa, Mecca, and Nova.
MakoaTekoaNoaMeccaNovaNavyNayelKota
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nakoa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 106 | #1602 |
| 2024 | 115 | #1530 |
| 2023 | 116 | #1518 |
| 2022 | 99 | #1706 |
| 2021 | 105 | #1614 |
| 2020 | 70 | #2024 |
| 2019 | 75 | #1954 |
| 2018 | 53 | #2445 |
| 2017 | 37 | #3123 |
| 2016 | 28 | #3776 |
| 2015 | 22 | #4407 |
| 2014 | 24 | #4138 |
| 2013 | 29 | #3582 |
| 2012 | 18 | #5035 |
| 2011 | 16 | #5433 |
| 2010 | 17 | #5251 |
| 2009 | 22 | #4429 |
| 2008 | 20 | #4714 |
| 2007 | 9 | #8173 |
| 2006 | 14 | #5781 |
| 2005 | 10 | #7096 |
| 2004 | 17 | #4793 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7831 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6522 |
| 2001 | 11 | #6013 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nakoa a popular boy name?
Nakoa ranked #1606 among boys in 2025 with 106 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4407.
When was the name Nakoa most popular?
Nakoa peaked in 2023, when 116 American boys received the name (ranked #1518 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Nakoa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,981 newborn American boys was named Nakoa. It scores 53/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.