Moua

♂ Boy

Pronounced MOO-ah /ˈmuː.ɑ/Medium

Meaning: Moua is one of the major Hmong clan names, carried as a family name across Hmong communities in Laos, Thailand, China, and the Hmong diaspora in the United States; used as a given name, it carries forward that clan identity rather than a separate word meaning.Low

In 30 seconds: Moua is a major Hmong clan name, carried as a family name and occasionally as a given name. In the United States it stayed rare as a first name, peaking around 1998 (said MOO-ah).

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Origin LowHmong

MeaningMoua is one of the major Hmong clan names, carried as a family name across Hmong communities in Laos, Thailand, China, and the Hmong diaspora in the United States; used as a given name, it carries forward that clan identity rather than a separate word meaning.

U.S. rank (2003)#12142 ↘ Falling

2003 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1989

Total births (all-time)≈ 167

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Moua is a Hmong clan name, one of the major family lines within Hmong society, historically important for marriage customs and community structure. Its use as a first name in United States records reflects Hmong-American families carrying the clan name forward.

As a given name Moua was never common, recorded for only about twenty boys a year at its peak around 1998 as Hmong refugee families resettled in the United States, and it stays rare as a first name. As a surname it remains widespread and significant in Hmong communities.

Did you know? Moua is one of about eighteen traditional Hmong clans; clan names like Moua, Vang, and Yang anchor Hmong identity and community across generations, wherever Hmong families have settled.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Moua — Major Hmong clan name; family/community significance

Variations

MuaMoue

Nicknames

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If you like Moua…

Vang— another major Hmong clan name

Yang— a like widely carried Hmong clan name

Chue— a like common Hmong given name

Toua— shares Moua's Hmong roots

Nhia— another Hmong name

Explore names like Moua

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Moua mean?

It is one of the major Hmong clan names, carried as a family name and occasionally used as a given name.

How do you pronounce Moua?

It is said MOO-ah /ˈmuː.ɑ/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Moua a boy or girl name?

Moua is used here as a boy's name, though as a clan surname it belongs to entire families regardless of sex.

How popular is Moua?

It has always been rare as a first name in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the late nineteen-nineties, as Hmong families resettled here.