Noa

Noa is a name with two possible etymologies. For one, it’s the female form of Noah in Hebrew. Most etymologists believe the name is derived from the Hebrew “Noach” (נוֹחַ) which means “rest” or “comfort.” Such a translation appears to be supported by the Bible (Genesis 5:29). As Noah’s own father says: "this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands." As we all know, Noah is a significant and central character in the Book of Genesis, selected by God Himself as a good and righteous man who alone with his family and all species of animals two-by-two are spared from extinction in the Great Flood. As instructed by Yahweh, Noah built a great Ark which carried them all to safety. Afterwards, as a sign of His covenant, the Lord placed a rainbow in the sky; and a dove brought Noah an olive branch as a symbol of impending peace. If you take the Bible at face value, all Homo sapiens are descended from Noah’s children (and Noah is descended from Seth, Adam and Eve’s third son after Cain and Abel). Alternately, Noa is also considered a Japanese female name derived from the kanji 乃 (“no”, a possessive particle) and 愛 (“a”, love, affection) therefore meaning “my love”. Both possible origins of this name are indeed positively comforting! Right now, Noa is a very popular baby girl’s name in Spain and Catalonia. It is also used heavily in the Netherlands and Belgium.