Nou

♀ Girl

Pronounced NOO /ˈnuː/Medium

Meaning: Nou is a Hmong given name carried into the U.S. record by Hmong refugee families after 1975. Its romanized spelling reflects Hmong pronunciation, and it is often used within traditional Hmong naming patterns. Specific meanings vary by family and dialect, so we treat it as a heritage name rather than assign one fixed gloss.Low

In 30 seconds: Nou is a Hmong given name carried by Hmong-American families (said 'NOO').

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Origin LowHmong

MeaningNou is a Hmong given name carried into the U.S. record by Hmong refugee families after 1975. Its romanized spelling reflects Hmong pronunciation, and it is often used within traditional Hmong naming patterns. Specific meanings vary by family and dialect, so we treat it as a heritage name rather than assign one fixed gloss.

U.S. rank (2000)#10504 ↗ Rising

2000 U.S. births9 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1993

Total births (all-time)≈ 352

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

Nou is a Hmong given name that appears in the American record with Hmong families, many of whom resettled in the United States from the late nineteen-seventies onward after the wars in Southeast Asia. Its spelling romanizes a Hmong sound, and the name belongs firmly to that heritage.

In the U.S. record it appears from around 1979 with a faint high point around 1993, tracking the Hmong community's growth, and remains rare and heritage-held. A person named Nou is typically part of a Hmong-American family.

Did you know? Nou is a familiar element in Hmong names, sometimes appearing on its own and sometimes paired with other elements in the community's traditional naming style.

Overall data confidence 50%

References — Nou — Hmong given name; post-1975 cohort

Variations

NouNouaNue

Nicknames

Noua

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Nou…

Mai— a common Hmong girl's name of the same community

Pang— another Hmong given name of the cohort

Kalia— a familiar Hmong girl's name

See— another Hmong name

Yer— a fellow Hmong choice

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Nou mean?

Nou is a Hmong given name; specific meanings vary by family, and it belongs to Hmong heritage naming.

How do you pronounce Nou?

It's said NOO /ˈnuː/ — one syllable, stress on the first.

Is Nou a boy or girl name?

Nou is used here as a girl's name.

How popular is Nou?

Nou has always been very rare in the U.S., a Hmong heritage name most seen among Hmong-American families.