Moa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Moa

What is the meaning of the name Moa ?

The baby name Moa is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced MOH-ah (English approximation, /ˈmoʊə/),MOO-ah or MOH-ah (Swedish approximations),mo-a (Japanese/Māori pronunciation, /mo.a/).

Moa is Japanese, Swedish in Origin.

Used chiefly in Sweden, Moa is a modern Scandinavian given name that began as a colloquial short form of Maria and of Mona/Monica. Its sense therefore varies by etymology: from Maria it carries associations of “beloved” or “wished-for child,” while via Monica it is linked to notions of “advisor” or “solitary.” The name’s recognition was helped by the Swedish author Moa Martinson (1890–1964), which set the stage for popularity.

Registers across Scandinavia list Moa as a feminine name; it surged in Sweden from the late 1980s through the early 2000s and remains familiar today. Close relatives and variants include Mona and Monica; an Icelandic form Móa also occurs. Outside the Nordic sphere, Moa functions as an independent Japanese feminine name written with various kanji - such as 最愛 (“most loved”), 萌愛 (“budding love”), or 望愛 (“desired love”) - yielding affectionate meanings.