Nova

Latin

"new"

Nova Origin and Meaning

The name Nova is a boy's name meaning "new".

Nova might be a much more commonly used a girls' name, but enough parents saw unisex appeal in it for it to debut on the US Top 1000 for boys in 2017. Nova is an astronomical term for a star that suddenly increases in brightness, then fades.

Nova is not literally a new name but one that was used a century ago mainly for girls and is now making something of a comeback. Unisex references: Nova Scotia, the long-running science TV show, and the finest kind of lox.

Nova Rank in US Top 1000

# 952 in the US

Nova Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 438 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Nova

• 952 US 2023
• 438 Nameberry 2025
• 177 Unique 2024
• 326 Future 2028

20 Names Similar to Nova

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Nova.

• Lynx
• Echo
• Rogue
• Neo
• Royal
• Zen
• Lux
• Rain
• Raven
• Ocean
• Storm
• Arrow
• Atlantis
• Onyx
• Dagger
• Nyx
• Rebel
• Jinx
• Lyric
• Seven

Famous People Named Nova

• Nova Spivack American entrepeneur, venture capitalist and author

The name Nova in Pop Culture

• Nova Corps intergalactic police force from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie series