ESC 

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👧As Girl Name

1885

First Year

2026

Last Year

2022

Peak Year

#32

Peak Rank

62K

Total Count

142

Years Active

👦As Boy Name

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

2020

Peak Year

#758

Peak Rank

3K

Total Count

63

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Nova

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Nova is a unisex given name of Latin origin meaning "new".

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova%5F%28given%5Fname%29)

📖

## The Story of Nova

### As a girl name

Nova first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1885, with 12 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 5,920 Novas were born — ranking #32 that year. As of 2026, Nova ranks #36 for girls with 5,234 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). In total, more than 62K Novas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

### As a boy name

Nova first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 317 Novas were born — ranking #758 that year. As of 2026, Nova ranks #1,236 for boys with 162 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 3K Novas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys 

## Popularity by State

👧 Girls 👦 Boys 

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Nova

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nova is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Neva](/neva)
* Novo
* [Nava](/nava)
* [Novi](/novi)
* [Niva](/niva)
* Novy
* [Neiva](/neiva)
* [Nevaeh](/nevaeh)
* [Navy](/navy)
* [Noah](/noah)
* [Noa](/noa)
* [Navi](/navi)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Nova

What does the name Nova mean?

Nova is a unisex given name of Latin origin meaning "new".

How popular is Nova in 2026?

In 2026, Nova ranks #36 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5,234 babies given the name that year.

When was Nova most popular?

Nova reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #32 that year with 5,920 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Nova most popular?

Nova has historically been most popular in Mississippi, U.S. Territories, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nova.

Is Nova a unisex name?

Yes — Nova is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 95% of Novas assigned female and 5% assigned male historically.

What names go well with Nova?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nova include Theresa, Pauline, Stacy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

### 👧 Similar Girl Names 

[👧TheresaPeak #32](/theresa)[👧PaulinePeak #32](/pauline)[👧StacyPeak #32](/stacy)[👧AlexaPeak #32](/alexa)

### 👦 Similar Boy Names 

[👦AleckPeak #758](/aleck)[👦RenoPeak #758](/reno)[👦RuebenPeak #758](/rueben)[👦SherwinPeak #757](/sherwin)

## About the name Nova 

Nova is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1885 and has accumulated 62K births in the dataset. Nova's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #32\. Use the chart and map above to compare Nova's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 2022 → ](/year/2022)
* [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s)
* [ Names starting with "N" → ](/letter/n)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)
* [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.