| Miriam | Noa | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of debated origin | motion, movement |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MEER-ee-um | NOH-ah |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1970 |
| Peak year | 1924 (1,834) | 2025 (1,348) |
| In 2025 | 1,262 | 1,348 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Miriam | Noa |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7,334 | 6,396 |
| 2010s | 10,927 | 3,378 |
| 2000s | 11,356 | 1,543 |
| 1990s | 10,071 | 411 |
| 1980s | 7,729 | 70 |
| 1970s | 6,433 | 17 |
| 1960s | 8,084 | 0 |
| 1950s | 9,544 | 0 |
| 1940s | 7,107 | 0 |
| 1930s | 8,348 | 0 |
| 1920s | 15,504 | 0 |
| 1910s | 11,048 | 0 |
| 1900s | 2,566 | 0 |
| 1890s | 1,397 | 0 |
| 1880s | 462 | 0 |
An ancient Hebrew name of debated meaning, variously read “beloved,” “bitter,” or “of the sea.” Miriam is the sister of Moses.
Hebrew No'ah (נֹעָה), 'motion, movement' (tied to a root meaning move/wander). One of the five daughters of Zelophehad who won the right to inherit (Numbers 26-27; Joshua 17). In Hebrew it is a distinct name from the male Noah (Noach, 'rest'), despite sharing the English spelling.
Noa is more popular than Miriam today: about 1,348 US babies were given the name Noa in 2025, compared with 1,262 named Miriam.
Miriam means Of debated origin (Hebrew origin), while Noa means motion, movement (hebrew origin).
In US records, Miriam first appears in 1880 and Noa in 1970, so Miriam has the longer recorded history.