Fun Facts About the Name Nova
- A newer favorite: Nova first entered the U.S. top 100 in 2017 and stayed there through 2025 - a run of 9 consecutive years.
- More than 58 thousand babies named Nova: U.S. records list 58,946 babies given the name Nova from 1880 through 2025. Even 3,226 boys received the name Nova - about 1 boy for every 17 girls.
What Does the Name Nova Mean?
Nova is a Latin word-name meaning 'new.' It is the feminine form of the Latin adjective novus, 'new,' and it appears in Latin phrases such as stella nova ('new star'), which is also the source of the English astronomical noun nova. The name is taken directly from that Latin vocabulary word rather than from an older personal name, so its meaning is the literal sense of the word, not a customary or symbolic interpretation. It is not a shortened form of a longer name, and similar-looking names have separate origins: the biblical place name Nobah and the modern Hebrew name Nava are unrelated to the Latin word.
Nova Name History & Origins
The Latin word behind the name entered English mainly through astronomy. When a bright star appeared in the constellation Cassiopeia in 1572, Tycho Brahe described it in a book whose title calls it a stella nova, a 'new star.' English astronomers later adopted nova as a noun for a star that suddenly brightens and then fades, and in the 20th century they distinguished it from a supernova. The same Latin word also appears in English place names, such as Nova Scotia, 'New Scotland,' named in a 1621 charter.
Nova has been used as a girl's name in English-speaking countries since the 19th century, and it is also used in Scandinavia. The British actress Nova Pilbeam, born in 1919, is an early well-known bearer. The word is additionally familiar from the American science series Nova, first broadcast in 1974, where it names a program rather than a person.
How Popular is the Name Nova?
Nova recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2022. Nova entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2017.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #46 | 4,657 | 0.2897% |
| 2024 | #39 | 5,044 | 0.3127% |
| 2023 | #35 | 5,274 | 0.3291% |
| 2022 | #32 | 5,920 | 0.3612% |
| 2021 | #32 | 5,565 | 0.3394% |
| 2020 | #38 | 5,005 | 0.3098% |
| 2019 | #51 | 4,329 | 0.2581% |
| 2018 | #55 | 4,174 | 0.2455% |
| 2017 | #94 | 3,054 | 0.1770% |
| 2016 | #136 | 2,285 | 0.1290% |
| 2015 | #214 | 1,528 | 0.0856% |
| 2014 | #287 | 1,136 | 0.0636% |
| 2013 | #527 | 567 | 0.0323% |
| 2012 | #618 | 463 | 0.0263% |
| 2011 | #886 | 295 | 0.0168% |
| 2010 | #1,129 | 218 | 0.0123% |
| 2009 | #1,105 | 231 | 0.0126% |
| 2008 | #1,372 | 176 | 0.0093% |
| 2007 | #1,553 | 147 | 0.0076% |
| 2006 | #1,915 | 106 | 0.0056% |
| 2005 | #1,889 | 103 | 0.0056% |
| 2004 | #1,710 | 114 | 0.0062% |
| 2003 | #1,870 | 99 | 0.0054% |
| 2002 | #1,951 | 91 | 0.0051% |
| 2001 | #1,992 | 86 | 0.0048% |
| 2000 | #2,362 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 1999 | #2,597 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 1998 | #2,557 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 1997 | #3,137 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1996 | #4,423 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1995 | #4,638 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1994 | #5,178 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #4,759 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #7,875 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #4,945 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #4,085 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1989 | #5,478 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #4,609 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1987 | #4,233 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1986 | #3,431 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1985 | #2,579 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1984 | #2,607 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1983 | #2,542 | 36 | 0.0022% |
| 1982 | #2,072 | 50 | 0.0030% |
| 1981 | #2,002 | 53 | 0.0032% |
| 1980 | #1,717 | 66 | 0.0040% |
| 1979 | #1,620 | 70 | 0.0044% |
| 1978 | #1,817 | 56 | 0.0037% |
| 1977 | #1,343 | 85 | 0.0055% |
| 1976 | #1,559 | 65 | 0.0044% |
| 1975 | #1,686 | 57 | 0.0039% |
| 1974 | #1,721 | 53 | 0.0036% |
| 1973 | #1,799 | 48 | 0.0033% |
| 1972 | #1,585 | 58 | 0.0038% |
| 1971 | #1,895 | 46 | 0.0028% |
| 1970 | #1,772 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1969 | #2,125 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1968 | #2,276 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 1967 | #1,999 | 35 | 0.0021% |
| 1966 | #1,873 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1965 | #1,977 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1964 | #1,627 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 1963 | #1,303 | 72 | 0.0037% |
| 1962 | #1,604 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 1961 | #2,588 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1960 | #1,970 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1959 | #2,572 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1958 | #2,729 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1957 | #2,204 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1956 | #1,960 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 1955 | #1,660 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1954 | #2,060 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1953 | #2,108 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1952 | #1,736 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1951 | #1,690 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1950 | #1,787 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1949 | #1,432 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 1948 | #1,400 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 1947 | #1,656 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 1946 | #1,550 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1945 | #1,612 | 27 | 0.0021% |
| 1944 | #1,537 | 29 | 0.0022% |
| 1943 | #1,315 | 39 | 0.0028% |
| 1942 | #1,243 | 42 | 0.0031% |
| 1941 | #1,304 | 35 | 0.0029% |
| 1940 | #1,094 | 44 | 0.0038% |
| 1939 | #1,019 | 49 | 0.0045% |
| 1938 | #860 | 68 | 0.0062% |
| 1937 | #961 | 53 | 0.0050% |
| 1936 | #920 | 56 | 0.0054% |
| 1935 | #804 | 72 | 0.0069% |
| 1934 | #762 | 78 | 0.0075% |
| 1933 | #891 | 58 | 0.0058% |
| 1932 | #799 | 73 | 0.0068% |
| 1931 | #783 | 75 | 0.0070% |
| 1930 | #821 | 75 | 0.0067% |
| 1929 | #690 | 104 | 0.0093% |
| 1928 | #783 | 84 | 0.0073% |
| 1927 | #846 | 77 | 0.0065% |
| 1926 | #859 | 75 | 0.0063% |
| 1925 | #767 | 94 | 0.0077% |
| 1924 | #790 | 89 | 0.0071% |
| 1923 | #823 | 80 | 0.0066% |
| 1922 | #788 | 86 | 0.0072% |
| 1921 | #768 | 91 | 0.0074% |
| 1920 | #693 | 111 | 0.0093% |
| 1919 | #755 | 87 | 0.0077% |
| 1918 | #805 | 79 | 0.0068% |
| 1917 | #756 | 85 | 0.0079% |
| 1916 | #765 | 81 | 0.0078% |
| 1915 | #796 | 69 | 0.0070% |
| 1914 | #863 | 47 | 0.0062% |
| 1913 | #675 | 59 | 0.0094% |
| 1912 | #685 | 54 | 0.0097% |
| 1911 | #730 | 36 | 0.0086% |
| 1910 | #764 | 32 | 0.0081% |
| 1909 | #633 | 39 | 0.0112% |
| 1908 | #643 | 36 | 0.0108% |
| 1907 | #677 | 32 | 0.0100% |
| 1906 | #712 | 27 | 0.0091% |
| 1905 | #652 | 30 | 0.0103% |
| 1904 | #722 | 24 | 0.0087% |
| 1903 | #754 | 21 | 0.0080% |
| 1902 | #838 | 18 | 0.0068% |
| 1901 | #679 | 23 | 0.0096% |
| 1900 | #670 | 29 | 0.0097% |
| 1899 | #722 | 20 | 0.0086% |
| 1898 | #594 | 30 | 0.0116% |
| 1897 | #754 | 18 | 0.0077% |
| 1896 | #647 | 24 | 0.0101% |
| 1895 | #720 | 20 | 0.0086% |
| 1894 | #714 | 18 | 0.0081% |
| 1893 | #1,071 | 9 | 0.0042% |
| 1892 | #659 | 20 | 0.0094% |
| 1891 | #779 | 13 | 0.0070% |
| 1890 | #711 | 15 | 0.0079% |
| 1889 | #787 | 12 | 0.0067% |
| 1888 | #683 | 15 | 0.0084% |
| 1887 | #1,122 | 6 | 0.0041% |
| 1886 | #966 | 7 | 0.0048% |
| 1885 | #652 | 12 | 0.0090% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,308 | 149 | 0.0087% |
| 2024 | #1,177 | 176 | 0.0103% |
| 2023 | #953 | 237 | 0.0139% |
| 2022 | #879 | 271 | 0.0155% |
| 2021 | #852 | 276 | 0.0158% |
| 2020 | #758 | 317 | 0.0184% |
| 2019 | #857 | 259 | 0.0144% |
| 2018 | #866 | 254 | 0.0140% |
| 2017 | #921 | 230 | 0.0124% |
| 2016 | #1,232 | 152 | 0.0080% |
| 2015 | #1,356 | 129 | 0.0067% |
| 2014 | #1,545 | 104 | 0.0054% |
| 2013 | #1,824 | 79 | 0.0042% |
| 2012 | #2,148 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 2011 | #2,887 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2010 | #3,118 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2009 | #2,882 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 2008 | #3,806 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2007 | #4,326 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #4,187 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2005 | #4,294 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #4,097 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #5,788 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #5,638 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #4,243 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2000 | #7,975 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #6,373 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #6,686 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #5,970 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #10,092 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #9,099 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1989 | #7,642 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #5,442 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #6,984 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,848 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #6,215 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,064 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #4,760 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #3,855 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #4,037 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #3,874 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1943 | #2,897 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #3,457 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1938 | #3,421 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #3,096 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #3,312 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1930 | #4,391 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #4,378 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #4,641 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #4,067 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #2,582 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1923 | #4,707 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #2,756 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1921 | #4,791 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #2,559 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1919 | #3,051 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1917 | #4,402 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #3,409 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1915 | #2,992 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1913 | #3,125 | 5 | 0.0010% |
| 1911 | #1,930 | 5 | 0.0022% |
| 1880 | #1,024 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Nova
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Nova Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Nova's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nova's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.