Nova
Latin novus, “new”; the astronomer’s word for a star that suddenly blazes bright.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Nova appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 2017 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2022, when 5,927 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 32 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 46 for girls. The name has also seen real use for boys: 3,227 of the 59,010 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Novah (3,983) (total births since 1880)
Explore Nova interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 52 | No. 629 |
| 1890s | 187 | No. 586 |
| 1900s | 279 | No. 624 |
| 1910s | 629 | No. 674 |
| 1920s | 891 | No. 690 |
| 1930s | 657 | No. 756 |
| 1940s | 369 | No. 1088 |
| 1950s | 283 | No. 1641 |
| 1960s | 402 | No. 1298 |
| 1970s | 589 | No. 1341 |
| 1980s | 360 | No. 1704 |
| 1990s | 289 | No. 2530 |
| 2000s | 1,221 | No. 1105 |
| 2010s | 18,057 | No. 51 |
| 2020s | 31,518 | No. 32 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.