Knoah
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the biblical name Noah.
Name Census estimates that about 308 living Americans carry the first name Knoah. It is a predominantly male name (98.4% of registrations). The average person named Knoah today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Knoah births was 2014 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Knoah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
308
~ 1 in 1,112,839 Americans
Peak year
2014
30 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,254
Tracked since 1999
Gender
Gender distribution for Knoah
Knoah leans heavily male at 98.4% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Knoah as a male name
- Ranked #4,254 in 2024
- 25 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (30 births)
Knoah as a female name
- Ranked #16,499 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (5 births)
Popularity
Knoah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Knoah from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 167 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Knoah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Knoah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Knoah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Knoahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Knoah
The name Knoah has an intriguing and rich history that spans across various cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic language, where it was derived from the word "knoak," meaning "oak tree." This suggests that the name was initially associated with strength, resilience, and longevity, much like the mighty oak.
In the early medieval period, Knoah was a fairly common given name among the Anglo-Saxon communities in Britain. Several historical records from that era, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, mention individuals bearing this name. One notable example is Knoah of Mercia, a respected scholar and advisor to King Offa in the 8th century.
The name Knoah also found its way into ancient Norse mythology, where it was associated with the god Odin. In the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems, there are references to a figure named Knoah, who was said to be a wise and powerful warrior.
As Christianity spread across Europe, the name Knoah gained a new layer of significance. Some historians believe that it was derived from the Hebrew name "Noah," which means "rest" or "comfort." This connection to the biblical figure Noah, who survived the Great Flood, may have contributed to the name's popularity among early Christian communities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Knoah was Knoah of Cologne, a Frankish nobleman who lived in the 9th century. Another notable figure was Knoah the Scribe, a renowned calligrapher and illuminator of manuscripts in the 12th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the name Knoah continued to be used across various regions of Europe. Knoah von Hirsau, a German theologian and abbot in the 11th century, was a prominent figure in the Benedictine reform movement. In the 15th century, Knoah Bianco, an Italian painter and sculptor, gained recognition for his contributions to the Renaissance art scene.
As time progressed, the name Knoah became less common, but it was still carried by a few noteworthy individuals. Knoah Webster, an American lexicographer and author, was born in 1758 and is best known for his work on the American Dictionary of the English Language.
While the name Knoah may not be as widely used today as it once was, its rich history and varied cultural influences make it a fascinating name to explore. Its connections to ancient languages, mythology, and religious traditions have endowed it with a sense of depth and significance that continues to captivate those who appreciate the stories behind names.
People
Knoah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Knoah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Knoah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Knoah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 308 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Knoah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,112,839 US residents.
Is Knoah a common name?
We classify Knoah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 310 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Knoah most popular?
The single biggest year for Knoah was 2014, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Knoah is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Knoah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Knoah a male name?
Yes, 98.4% of people registered as Knoah in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Knoah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Knoah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Knoah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Knoah?
Want to know how many people share the name Knoah? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.