Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1923

Novella

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #2,559 Trend ↑ Rising 11%
Rank 2025
#2,559
among girls · ↑1,001 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
69
named Novella · +57% vs 2024
How common
1 in 23,294
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1923
186 babies
All-time total
6,272
#2,224 all-time among girls
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Novella popularity over time

6,272 babies have been named Novella since 1882, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1905Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 63 6 – #712
1890s 163 16 +159% #695
1900s 366 37 +125% #494
1910s 939 94 +157% #526
1920s 1,314 131 +40% #513
1930s 857 86 -35% #645
1940s 596 60 -30% #850
1950s 444 44 -26% #1,287
1960s 329 33 -26% #1,783
1970s 178 18 -46% #2,412
1980s 99 10 -44% #4,476
1990s 72 7 -27% #6,937
2000s 114 11 +58% #5,242
2010s 405 41 +255% #2,643
2020s (to 2025) 333 56 +37% #2,559

Where Novella is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 70 0.04 outside top 500
2027 71 0.04 outside top 500
2028 72 0.04 outside top 500
2029 72 0.05 outside top 500
2030 73 0.05 outside top 500

The story of Novella

Novella is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,559 in 2025 with 69 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 6,272 American babies have been named Novella. Its peak came in 1923, when 186 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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 Novella stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Novella?

The median living Novella is about 58 years old; half are between 12 and 76. An estimated 2,500 people named Novella are alive in the United States today.

median 58 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Novella year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 69 #2,559
2024 44 #3,560
2023 64 #2,726
2022 58 #2,917
2021 51 #3,200
2020 47 #3,324
2019 66 #2,643
2018 53 #3,092
2017 49 #3,287
2016 41 #3,761
2015 35 #4,207
2014 47 #3,407
2013 26 #5,270
2012 28 #5,078
2011 33 #4,442
2010 27 #5,210
2009 25 #5,668
2008 28 #5,242
2007 19 #7,024
2006 – –
2005 6 #15,920
2004 7 #13,811
2003 6 #15,255
2002 9 #10,853
2001 7 #13,109
2000 7 #12,784
1995 – –
1990 7 #11,036
1985 13 #5,579
1980 14 #5,151
1975 10 #5,844
1970 19 #3,400
1965 28 #2,283
1960 41 #1,783
1955 51 #1,416
1950 41 #1,445
1945 57 #1,028
1940 67 #873
1935 69 #829
1930 101 #688
1925 124 #663
1920 118 #668
1915 113 #621
1910 49 #601
1905 47 #494
1900 35 #599
1895 19 #737
1890 7 #1,172
1885 8 #832
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Novella, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Novella?

The median living Novella is about 58 years old. Half of all living Novellas are between 12 and 76 years old.

How many people named Novella are alive today?

An estimated 2,500 people named Novella are alive in the United States, based on 6,272 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Novella in 2025?

Novella ranked #2,559 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 69 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Novella?

6,272 babies have been named Novella in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Novella most popular?

Novella peaked in 1923, when 186 newborns received the name.

Is Novella a boy or girl name?

Novella is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Novella rising or falling?

Novella is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Novella become more popular?

Novella looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 73 girls named Novella in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Novella

Names that sound and feel close to Novella: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Novella with similar names → More names starting with N →