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The short answer
Noa, for girls, is the modern Hebrew form of the name borne in the Bible by Noa, one of the daughters of Zelophehad, and is also the spelling used in some English translations of the Old Testament. Behind the Name records separate, unrelated entries for Noa as a Croatian, Hawaiian and French form of the masculine Noah, and as a Japanese name built from characters meaning a possessive particle and "love, affection". Pronounced NOH-ah, the feminine Hebrew Noa ranked #226 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name describes this Noa as the "modern Hebrew form of Noah, the daughter of Zelophehad in the Bible", and notes it is also the spelling used in some English versions of the Old Testament for that figure. This is a distinct entry from the masculine Noa, which Behind the Name separately records as a Croatian, Hawaiian and French form of the male biblical Noah, and from a Japanese name Noa built from the characters 乃 (a possessive particle) and 愛 ("love, affection").
Editorial confidence: established
Competing or overlapping origins
- A separate Behind the Name entry, Noa (2), is a masculine name — the Croatian, Hawaiian and French form of the male biblical Noah — unrelated to the feminine Noa beyond the shared spelling.
- A third entry, Noa (3), is a Japanese name built from kanji meaning a possessive particle plus 'love, affection', entirely unrelated to the Hebrew name.
Popularity
Noa ranked #226 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #226 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: None documented.
Related names: Noah
What the name feels like
Noa reads as a sleek, minimalist alternative to Noah, and its overlap in sound with the far more common boys' name gives it a modern unisex-adjacent feel even though this Hebrew entry is specifically feminine.
Style tags: biblical, Hebrew, minimalist, modern
Editorial interpretation: This style framing is editorial opinion. The distinct Behind the Name entries for the feminine and masculine Noa are documented fact; the 'sleek, minimalist' impression is subjective.
If you like this name
Editorial picks for readers drawn to Noa's short biblical sound.
Similar by sound
Similar by origin
- Zelophehad's daughters
- Leah
- Tirzah
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Noa mean?
As a girls' name, Noa is the modern Hebrew form of the name of Noa, one of the daughters of Zelophehad in the Bible; Behind the Name does not give a separate translated meaning for it.
Is Noa the same as Noah?
Not exactly. The feminine Hebrew Noa refers to a different biblical figure than the male Noah, though Behind the Name separately records a masculine Noa that is a variant form of Noah in Croatian, Hawaiian and French.
Is Noa a popular name?
Noa ranked #226 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Noa (1) — supports etymology, history, pronunciation.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Noa (2) — supports competingOrigins.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Noa (3) — supports competingOrigins.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
