Nova
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Nova
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 for girls#46 US
Nova had some reasonable degree of popularity at the turn of the last century, only to disappear for more than 70 years before making a, well, astronomical comeback. Nova now ranks in the US Top 50 for baby girls and also entered the UK Top 100 in 2022.
Nova Pilbeam, the star of one of Hitchcock's early British films, had family ties to Nova Scotia. Other Nova ties: the long-running science TV show and the finest kind of lox.
Given to more than 5000 girls in the US each year - and to a not insubstantial 240 boys - Nova is a current star that doesn't look as though it will be fading any time soon.
Nova for boys#1308 US
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.
Pronounced NOH-vuh.
As of October 2026, Nova ranked #46 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #32 in 2021, Nameberry popularity #209.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #287 | 1,136 | #1,545 | 104 |
| 2015 | #214 | 1,528 | #1,356 | 129 |
| 2016 | #136 | 2,285 | #1,232 | 152 |
| 2017 | #94 | 3,054 | #921 | 230 |
| 2018 | #55 | 4,174 | #866 | 254 |
| 2019 | #51 | 4,329 | #857 | 259 |
| 2020 | #38 | 5,005 | #758 | 317 |
| 2021 | #32 | 5,565 | #852 | 276 |
| 2022 | #32 | 5,920 | #879 | 271 |
| 2023 | #35 | 5,274 | #953 | 237 |
| 2024 | #39 | 5,044 | #1,177 | 176 |
| 2025 | #46 | 4,657 | #1,308 | 149 |
World rankings
Nova for girls
Nova for boys
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Nova.
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Nova on lists
Famous Novas
- Nova Margery PilbeamGirl
British stage and film actress
- Nova Maree PerisGirl
first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal (hockey) and Australia's first female Indigenous federal parliamentarian
- Nova Ren SumaGirl
American novelist
- Nova SkippGirl
English actress; daughter of actor Colin Skipp
- Nova Danzig (b. 2008)Girl
daughter of mixed martial artist Mac Danzig
- Nova Star DeJesus (b. 2011)Girl
daughter of TV personality Briana DeJesus of "Teen Mom 3"
- Nova Campbell (b. 2014)Girl
daughter of actress Lake Bell and Scott Campbell
- Novalee Reign "Nova" Baltierra (b. 2015)Girl
daughter of TV personalities Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra of "Teen Mom"
- Nova Whitfield (b. 2016)Girl
daughter of rapper/actor DC Young Fly and Jacky Oh
- Nova ReedusGirl
daughter of Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger.
- Nova SpivackBoy
American entrepeneur, venture capitalist and author
Nova in pop culture
- NovaGirl
character in "Planet of the Apes"
- Nova PrescottGirl
main character in the Disney film "Prom"
- NovaGirl
a character in the movie "Sharknado"
- Nova CorpsBoth
intergalactic police force from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie series
- "Terra NovaGirl
" a 2011 Fox TV series
- November Annabella "Nova" TerraGirl
Character in the Starcraft Universe
- NovaGirl
character in MoondustBri's YouTube series Lunar Project 2.0
- Nova Artino/Nova McLainGirl
the main character of Marissa Meyer's Renegades novels.
- Nova CitroenGirl
character in the Jackie Collins novel 'Rock Star'.
- NovaGirl
popular British women's magazine of the 1960s
- 'Biba Nova'Girl
song from the British television series 'Rock Follies'.