Girl name · Latin
Nova
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: new, a new starNova is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "new, a new star". It is used in English and Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- New, a new star
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #46 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Nova
As a girl's name, Nova comes from Latin and means "new, a new star". It is used in English and Scandinavian.
Its meaning puts Nova on our names that mean star list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Nova on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Nova on 6 lists.
“A bright new star of an idea”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, human-sounding names for an AI assistant
“Bursts into light when the fight begins”
From Female demon hunter names, huntress names
“Short, bright and easy to spot in a list”
From Funny Roku names, cool Roku device names
“Latin for new; also a star that suddenly brightens”
From Female cat names, star and space names for girl cats
“Latin for new, for a star that suddenly flares; No. 46 for US girls in 2025”
From Space names, space baby names
“New; Latin. Astronomers use it for a flaring star”
From Strong female names, badass girl names
How popular is Nova?
- US rank in 2025
- #46
- 4,657 babies, 2,897 per million girls
- Best rank
- #32 in 2021
- Most babies: 5,927 in 2022
- Babies since 1885
- At least 55,783
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 40 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 84 per million |
| 1900s | 95 per million |
| 1910s | 77 per million |
| 1920s | 75 per million |
| 1930s | 62 per million |
| 1940s | 25 per million |
| 1950s | 15 per million |
| 1960s | 22 per million |
| 1970s | 38 per million |
| 1980s | 21 per million |
| 1990s | 16 per million |
| 2000s | 66 per million |
| 2010s | 1,032 per million |
| 2020s | 3,239 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #136 | #94 | #55 | #51 | #38 | #32 | #32 | #35 | #39 | #46 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Nova
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- AkhtarA star (Persian, unisex)
- AstraeaStar (Greek, girl)
- EstelaStar (Latin, girl)
- EstellaA star (Latin, girl)
- EstelleA star (Latin, girl)
- LeiaForm of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars (Hebrew, girl)
- MaristelaStar of the sea (Latin, girl)
- NajmuddinStar of the faith (Arabic, boy)
- ParvinThe Pleiades star cluster (Persian, unisex)
Middle names for Nova
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
Nova: common questions
What does the name Nova mean?
Nova comes from Latin and means "new, a new star". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Nova a boy or girl name?
Nova is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 4,657 girls and 149 boys in the US were named Nova, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Nova come from?
Nova comes from Latin and means "new, a new star". Today it is used in English and Scandinavian.
How popular is the name Nova?
Nova ranked #46 in the US in 2025, with 4,657 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Nova?
Names spelled like Nova include Noa, Nava, Noga, Noha and Nona.
What middle names go with Nova?
Middle names that flow well with Nova include Abigail, Belle, Esmeralda, Holly and Louise. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.