Yea or Nay: Koah

This one first caught my eye in one of those magazine articles.  The topic was something completely unrelated to names.  But the only thing I remember?  The name of the youngest son of the all-K named clan:  Koah.

Noah with a K, I thought.  Not as bad as, say, Kyndal or Klare.  Maybe a little too close to koala.  Reminiscent of Kampgrounds of America, kreatively spelled since 1962, and abbreviated KOA on countless roadside signs.

But then I spotted Koah in an alumni magazine, the kind of place you’re far more likely to see Max or Ava, Mary or Peter.

Could there be something to Koah?

A tree grows in Hawaii called the koa.  And while I couldn’t find him in any reputable name-your-baby books, he is sometimes translated as “strength” in Hebrew out in the wilds of the internet.

And so I submit Koah for a Yea or Nay vote, but I can’t help think – with Noah at #15 and the K-kraze showing no signs of letting up?  I suspect Koah will be heard more and more.

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8 thoughts on “Yea or Nay: Koah

  1. That is a tough sell. It definitely reads made-up to my eye. The H at the end isn’t really doing it any favors, either. Hs and Ks are part of that tryndhee effect. This one is not the one for me!

  2. I like Noah too much to accept Koah (my one association with Noah is a the nicest little boy at a day camp; that would make him born in the late 90′s). Plus the “K” sound is so harsh especially followed by a strong vowel. It has a rough sound to it.

  3. I’m another “NAY” — too made-up looking. I actually really like both Noah (for a boy) and Noa (for a girl), but Koah is just too much. I agree with the Koala connotation.

  4. Pingback: Sunday Summary: 2/20/11 « Appellation Mountain

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