Koa

#18 in Hawaii

Meaning of Koa

Koa is the kind of name that surfs in on an ocean breeze, drums like a dhol at a Goan beach party, and plants its feet with the quiet strength of the mighty Hawaiian koa tree from which it springs—its meaning, fittingly, is “warrior.” He’s a compact two-syllable spark, pronounced KOH-uh, yet he carries a whole island saga: ancient chiefs carving canoes from russet-gold koa wood, modern surfers slicing turquoise waves, and now, thousands of mainland parents catching the wave too. In the U.S. charts he’s leapt faster than a Bollywood hero in a climax scene—up from the 800s a generation ago to a sleek No. 277 in 2024—proving that courage and charm never go out of style. Koa feels earthy and adventurous, like sandalwood smoke curling through a Hawaiian luau, but he also slots neatly beside Aarav, Arjun, and other short-and-strong names beloved in many Indian homes, making him a cross-cultural passport stamped with sunshine, swagger, and a storyteller’s heart.

Pronunciation

Hawaiian

  • Pronunced as KOH-uh (/koʊˈɑ/)

U.S. Popularity Chart

States Popularity Chart

Notable People Named Koa

American basketball player Koa Peat plays for the Arizona Wildcats in the Big 12.
Koa Santos - Laukoa Santos is an American right back for Orange County SC in the USL Championship.
Koa Misi is a former NFL linebacker who played for the Miami Dolphins after being drafted from the University of Utah in 2010.
Isha Chatterjee
Curated byIsha Chatterjee

Assistant Editor