Nova Name Meaning

By Leah Campbell

Updated on July 10, 2021

Fact checked by Cara Lustik

婴儿girl (6-9 months) laughing — Roger Wright / Getty Images

The name Nova means "new," stemming from the Latin word "novus" of the same definition. The definition itself is fitting since the name is relatively new in origin and growing in popularity.

It is also the name given to a star that beams with sudden and increasing brightness after exploding with a burst of energy, making it a name fitting any child destined to make their mark on the world.

起源: Nova is from the Latin word novus, which means new.
Gender: Nova is most often used as a girl’s name.
Pronunciation: NO-vah

尽管许多婴儿名字由性别,Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best.

How Popular Is the Name Nova?

The name Nova first started being used in the 19th century. It had a slow rise in popularity, remaining in the bottom quarter of the top 1,000 baby names in the United States up through the late 1930s. It then dropped off the list entirely and didn't appear again until 2011.

Since 2017, it has been in the top 100 most popular names. In 2020, the name Nova was the 38th most popular baby girl name in the United States. It was given to 4,940 babies that year.

Similar Names

Other female names with Latin origins include:

Aurora
Ava
Camila
Cecilia
Lillian
Olivia
宁静
Valentina
Victoria
Violet

Other female names that start with ‘N’ include:

Nadia
Nadya
Nancy
Natalie
Nell
Nessa
Neveah
Nikki
Nora

Suggested Sibling Names

A great sibling name to pair with Nova could be:

Camille
Conrad
Delta
Eden
Everett
Freya
Jasper
Julian
Justine
Lawson
Milo
Sage

More Baby Names

Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options:

1 Source

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Social Security Administration.Popularity of Name.

ByLeah Campbell
Leah Campbell is a full-time parenting and health writer and has written extensively on the topics of infertility, adoption, and parenting. She is a single mom by choice and author of the book "Single Infertile Female."

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