Nova
A female given name from Latin.
Every Nova since 1880 — 59,010 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Nova
Nova is a top-50 name for girls in the United States, ranked #46 in 2025 with 4,657 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 59,010 American babies have been named Nova — about 95% girls and 5% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2022, when 6,198 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nova stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Nova year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,657 | #46 | 149 | #1,308 |
| 2024 | 5,072 | #39 | 176 | #1,179 |
| 2023 | 5,282 | #35 | 237 | #954 |
| 2022 | 5,927 | #32 | 271 | #879 |
| 2021 | 5,574 | #32 | 277 | #851 |
| 2020 | 5,006 | #38 | 317 | #758 |
| 2019 | 4,332 | #51 | 259 | #857 |
| 2018 | 4,174 | #55 | 254 | #866 |
| 2017 | 3,057 | #94 | 230 | #921 |
| 2016 | 2,286 | #136 | 152 | #1,232 |
| 2015 | 1,529 | #213 | 129 | #1,356 |
| 2014 | 1,136 | #287 | 104 | #1,545 |
| 2013 | 567 | #527 | 79 | #1,824 |
| 2012 | 463 | #618 | 63 | #2,148 |
| 2011 | 295 | #886 | 41 | #2,887 |
| 2010 | 218 | #1,129 | 37 | #3,118 |
| 2009 | 231 | #1,105 | 42 | #2,882 |
| 2008 | 178 | #1,365 | 28 | #3,806 |
| 2007 | 147 | #1,553 | 23 | #4,327 |
| 2006 | 106 | #1,916 | 23 | #4,187 |
| 2005 | 103 | #1,889 | 21 | #4,294 |
| 2004 | 114 | #1,710 | 22 | #4,097 |
| 2003 | 99 | #1,870 | 13 | #5,788 |
| 2002 | 91 | #1,951 | 13 | #5,640 |
| 2001 | 86 | #1,992 | 19 | #4,244 |
| 2000 | 66 | #2,362 | 8 | #7,976 |
| 1995 | 22 | #4,638 | — | — |
| 1990 | 25 | #4,085 | 5 | #9,102 |
| 1985 | 38 | #2,579 | — | — |
| 1980 | 66 | #1,716 | 5 | #6,984 |
| 1975 | 57 | #1,686 | — | — |
| 1970 | 51 | #1,773 | — | — |
| 1965 | 35 | #1,977 | — | — |
| 1960 | 34 | #1,970 | — | — |
| 1955 | 39 | #1,660 | — | — |
| 1950 | 29 | #1,787 | — | — |
| 1945 | 27 | #1,612 | — | — |
| 1940 | 44 | #1,094 | — | — |
| 1935 | 72 | #804 | — | — |
| 1930 | 75 | #821 | 5 | #4,391 |
| 1925 | 94 | #767 | 6 | #4,067 |
| 1920 | 111 | #693 | 12 | #2,559 |
| 1915 | 69 | #796 | 8 | #2,992 |
| 1910 | 32 | #764 | — | — |
| 1905 | 30 | #652 | — | — |
| 1900 | 29 | #670 | — | — |
| 1895 | 20 | #720 | — | — |
| 1890 | 15 | #711 | — | — |
| 1885 | 12 | #652 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | 5 | #1,024 |
Famous people named Nova
- Nova Widianto Badminton player · b. 1977
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Nova mean?
A female given name from Latin.
How popular is the name Nova in 2025?
Nova ranked #46 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 4,657 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Nova?
59,010 babies have been named Nova in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Nova most popular?
Nova peaked in 2022, when 6,198 newborns received the name.
Is Nova a boy or girl name?
Nova is used for both: about 95% of babies named Nova have been girls and 5% boys.
Is the name Nova rising or falling?
Nova is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Nova?
Well-known people named Nova include Nova Widianto (badminton player).