Updated November 2023
Across 3 pages
of 3
Latin
"new"
Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading. Nova had some reasonable degree of…
Basque
"new house"
Xavier originated is use as a given name after Saint Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order, who got his name from the Spanish-Basque village where he was born. His birthplace was Javier, the…
Place name, English
"landing place for chalk or limestone"
Chelsea is still being used, with about 400 baby girls named Chelsea in the US last year. But it was much more popular a few decades ago, peaking at Number 15 in 1992. Chelsea first entered the…
Latin or Tswana
"new or gift"
This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an…
Original New Testament Greek variation of Andrew
"strong and manly"
Andreas is a beautiful name, with the patina of an Old Master painting, one that could make a dashing namesake for an Uncle Andrew. In Europe, Andreas is currently in the Top 20 in Norway and is also…
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…
Catalan diminutive of Xavier, Basque or Arabic
"new house or bright"
This nickname was given often enough as a standalone to land it in the Top 1000 from 2010—2013.
Hindi
Naveem, which is also spelled Navim, is a traditional Arabic name that also has the sheen of modernity. It was introduced to a wider audience via Prince Naveen, the charming (if opportunistic),…
Variation of Nova, Latin
This Nova-offshoot is hot in the Netherlands, where it was recently one of the fastest-rising names of the year. It could eventually see great success in the US as well, and was given to 46 American…
Sanskrit
"one thousand"
Sahasra is a rising Sanskrit name with a powerful sound and plenty of significance within Hindu tradition. Rarely used in the US before 2005, it has been given to at least 50 girls each year since…
Serbian
Tennis star Novak Djokovic introduced this new first name to the English-speaking world, though it had long been familiar as a surname. The celebrity Novak, one of the greatest tennis players of all…
Variation of Xavier, Arabic, Basque
"new house; bright"
This name caught the attention of American parents beginning in 2018, when the Fox show The Four: Battle for Stardom premiered. Zhavia Ward was a finalist on the first season.
Greek
"lion of the new city"
Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.
Basque or Arabic
Modern feminine form of Xavier
The more common spelling Nova does not meet the requirements of a unisex name — being given to the minority sex at least ten percent of the time — but Novah manages to pass. The H at the end makes it…
Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse, "new day"
"new day"
If you're looking for a name with Scandinavian roots, Dagny makes a strong and appealing import. Derived from Old Norse, it means "new day", perfect for a girl born around New Year's or the change of…
English
"new + ray"
Babies recorded as Novarae in the US data (there were 23 of them in 2024) may spell their names Nova Rae or Nova-Rae in real life – spaces and punctuation aren't recorded. Either way, it's a cool…
"new town"
Named after Isaac. Or Wayne.
French
More often used in Britain than here, where most names ending in ville fall into the unthinkable class, this might make an exception via fans of the musical Neville Brothers. Charles Dickens used the…
Italian
"the new house"
Attractive Italian form of Xavier, originally a Basque place name most notably borne by St Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest and missionary.