Nova
Latin for new, the feminine of novus. Astronomers also use the word for a star that suddenly brightens, from the phrase stella nova.
Nova in 2025
Nova was given to 4,806 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 112th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 690 babies born.
The history of Nova
Nova reached its highest point in 2022, when 6,198 babies were given the name, ranking 76th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 59,010 babies have been named Nova. Half of them were born before 2020, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Nova by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nova | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 57 | 1,188 |
| 1890s | 187 | 938 |
| 1900s | 279 | 1,017 |
| 1910s | 668 | 1,135 |
| 1920s | 952 | 1,201 |
| 1930s | 682 | 1,365 |
| 1940s | 393 | 2,000 |
| 1950s | 289 | 2,760 |
| 1960s | 402 | 2,122 |
| 1970s | 612 | 2,193 |
| 1980s | 378 | 2,606 |
| 1990s | 328 | 3,857 |
| 2000s | 1,433 | 1,767 |
| 2010s | 19,405 | 131 |
| 2020s | 32,945 | 76 |
Where Nova is heading
Nova has risen 190% over the past decade, from 1,658 babies in 2015 to 4,806 in 2025.
Names like Nova
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nova.