Girl · #12,180 in 2026

Novena

A novena is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in the Upper Room and devoted themselves to prayer, is often considered to be the first novena.

Current Rank
#12,180
Peak Rank
#11,223 (2022)
Total Babies
36
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1958
First Year
2023
Last Year
2022
Peak Year
#11223
Peak Rank
36
Total Count
6
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Novena

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

A novena is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in the Upper Room and devoted themselves to prayer, is often considered to be the first novena.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
Novena likely has roots in ancient funeral-related rituals. Above: a group gathered for a novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel , most likely a mourning event (c. 1940). The word Novena is rooted in the Latin word for nine. The practice of the novena is based in early Christianity, where Masses were held for nine days with devotional prayers for the deceased. The practice may trace its origins to an early Greek and Roman custom performed by families, consisting of nine days of mourning after the death of a loved one, followed by a feast, which originally prompted Catholic writers such as St. Augu

The Story of Novena

Novena first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1958, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 8 Novenas were born — ranking #11,223 that year. As of 2026, Novena ranks #12,180 for baby girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 36 Novenas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Novena

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Novena

What does the name Novena mean?
A novena is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in the Upper Room and devoted themselves to prayer, is often considered to be the first novena.
How popular is Novena in 2026?
In 2026, Novena ranks #12,180 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Novena most popular?
Novena reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #11,223 that year with 8 babies given the name.
Is Novena a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Novena is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Novena?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Novena include Rosmary, Nyle, Amanita. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Rosmary
Peak #11223
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Nyle
Peak #11223
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Amanita
Peak #11223
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Alenia
Peak #11223
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Brenn
Peak #11223
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Ottavia
Peak #11223
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Nanaama
Peak #11223
👧
Aaris
Peak #11223

About the name Novena

Novena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 36 births in the dataset. Novena's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #11,223. Use the chart and map above to compare Novena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

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.