This Old Testament female name has been one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> in Israel over the last decade. Also highly popular in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, and a new entrant to the US Top 1000, it may be misunderstood here as an attempt to streamline and feminize the more familiar Noah – although it's a separate name with a separate derivation.

 Now for the confusing bit... 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 "rest, repose" – although confusingly they are often written the same in English. 

 Noa is the modern Hebrew spelling of the female name, but it is also found as a variant spelling of the male name Noah – popular in countries including France, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

 Complex backstory notwithstanding, Noa's rise to the charts indicates increased interest in this sleek moniker.

Saotome

Hajime

Urara

Hibiki

Ukyo

Yukina

Momoyo

Hydra's list "Actual Japanese names, I'll have you know." of 8 great name ideas: Noa - Momoyo!

Actual Japanese names, I'll have you know.

This will be a list of actual Japanese names, none of that Akuma and Usagi bull. I can't write kanji/hiragana/katakana on my computer, sorry. Certain elements, such as -ko, -yo, and -taro, while often seen in media as common in Japanese names, are now fairly rare and are seen as dated. Anyway, here you go! Both genders.

Actual Japanese names, I'll have you know.

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