​
​
Advanced Search

Noah

NO-uh
Hebrew
"motion"
Brynn McKeon
By Brynn McKeon
Updated Mon Sep 08 2025

Noah Origin and Meaning

The name Noah is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "motion".

There is a female figure in the Old Testament named Noa or Noah, whose name derives from the Hebrew No'ah, meaning "motion". The popular Biblical male name Noah (sometimes spelled as the streamlined Noa) is derived from a different Hebrew name: Noach, which means "rest, repose" – although confusingly they are often written the same in English.

Noa is the modern Hebrew spelling of the female name, and is very popular for girls in Israel, as well as in several European countries, including Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. But Noah is an established variant spelling, popularized by Noah Cyrus.

So is a girl called Noah named after a female Biblical figure (whose name means "motion") or a male one (meaning "rest")? That's up to you!
An increasing number of American parents have been drawn to this spelling in recent years. It entered the Top 1000 back in 2020 and as of 2024, it sits at #560.

# 561 in the US

Noah Rank in US Top 1000

# 799 on Nameberry

Noah Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Noah

20 Names Similar to Noah

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Noah.

Famous People Named Noah

  • Noah
    one of Zelophehad's five daughters (Num. 26:33).
  • Noah Lindsey Cyrus
    American singer andactress; younger sister of Miley Cyrus.

The name Noah in Pop Culture

  • Noah
    the wizard in Phantasy Star, for Sega Master System.

The name Noah in Nameberry Blog Posts