Hoa
A gender-neutral Vietnamese name meaning "flower" or "blossom".
Name Census estimates that about 507 living Americans carry the first name Hoa. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Hoa today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hoa births was 1982 (48 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hoa. 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
507
~ 1 in 676,044 Americans
Peak year
1982
48 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2004 SSA rank
#12,018
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Hoa
Hoa is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 532 total registrations, 262 (49.2%) were male and 270 (50.8%) were female.
Hoa as a male name
- Ranked #12,018 in 2004
- 5 male births in 2004
- Peak: 1981 (21 births)
Hoa as a female name
- Ranked #12,390 in 1996
- 6 female births in 1996
- Peak: 1982 (27 births)
Popularity
Hoa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hoa from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 320 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hoa 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 Hoa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hoas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hoa
The name Hoa has its origins in the Vietnamese language and culture, dating back several centuries. It is believed to be derived from the old Vietnamese word "hoa," which means "flower" or "blossom." This connection to nature and beauty has made the name a popular choice among Vietnamese parents.
In ancient Vietnamese texts and folklore, the name Hoa was often associated with grace, elegance, and femininity. It was a common name given to daughters, symbolizing the hope that they would blossom into strong and beautiful women.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Hoa can be found in the 15th century, when a Vietnamese princess named Hoa Thi was recorded as being a skilled poet and calligrapher. Her works were celebrated for their delicate and poetic nature, reflecting the essence of the name itself.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures have borne the name Hoa. In the 17th century, Hoa Nguyen was a renowned Vietnamese scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of Confucian studies. Her writings were widely read and influenced generations of Vietnamese intellectuals.
In the 19th century, Hoa Van Nguyen was a prominent Vietnamese revolutionary who fought against French colonial rule. Her bravery and dedication to the cause of independence earned her a place in the annals of Vietnamese history.
Another famous Hoa was Hoa Pham, a Vietnamese-American author and activist who lived from 1938 to 2019. Her works explored themes of identity, feminism, and the immigrant experience, shedding light on the complexities of navigating multiple cultural worlds.
In the realm of entertainment, Hoa Tran was a celebrated Vietnamese actress and singer who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. Her captivating performances on stage and screen earned her a devoted following, and she remains an iconic figure in Vietnamese popular culture.
Hoa Thanh Tran, born in 1955, is a renowned Vietnamese-American sculptor and installation artist. Her works, often incorporating traditional Vietnamese materials and motifs, explore themes of cultural identity, displacement, and the human experience.
People
Hoa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hoa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hoa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hoa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 507 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hoa 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 676,044 US residents.
Is Hoa a common name?
We classify Hoa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 532 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hoa most popular?
The single biggest year for Hoa was 1982, when 48 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hoa is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hoa a female name?
Yes, 50.8% of people registered as Hoa in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.