Toua
A boy's name with 170 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
obsolete spelling of tuwa
Toua is a boy's baby name used in Hmong communities, where it serves as a given name carrying traditional meaning within Hmong naming customs from Southeast Asia.
The Hmong people, originally from the mountainous regions of Laos, Vietnam, and China, brought their naming traditions to the United States as refugees. Toua represents one of those names that carries an entire cultural history in its brief, simple form.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Toua does not map cleanly to a single linguistic tradition in our records, which often indicates a name that has crossed cultural boundaries, been adapted between languages, or emerged from the blending that defines American naming.
Toua’s rarity (170 recorded births) may indicate it is strongly tied to a specific cultural community or family tradition, rather than part of the broader American naming mainstream.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Toua has 16+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1980.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 85 | — |
| 1980s | 85 | — |
The Story of Toua
A Millennial name
Peaking in 1993, Toua is a Millennial-era classic. Boys named Toua are most likely born between 1983 and 1996.
How rare is Toua?
With fewer than 500 recorded births, Toua is an exceptionally rare name — a one-of-a-kind choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1980, peaked in the 1980s with 85 births that decade, and continues to thrive.
Toua by the numbers
- Would fill 4 school buses
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(16 years, 1980–1996)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 11 | #5502 |
| 1995 | 13 | #4761 |
| 1994 | 9 | #6322 |
| 1993 | 19 | #3490 |
| 1992 | 11 | #5202 |
| 1991 | 11 | #5068 |
| 1990 | 11 | #4967 |
| 1989 | 6 | #7840 |
| 1988 | 9 | #5179 |
| 1987 | 10 | #4557 |
| 1986 | 13 | #3635 |
| 1985 | 9 | #4665 |
| 1984 | 9 | #4526 |
| 1983 | 13 | #3398 |
| 1981 | 9 | #4471 |
| 1980 | 7 | #5482 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Toua a boy's or girl's name?
When was Toua most popular?
How popular is the name Toua?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1980–1996