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Girl & boy name

Nova

As of 2025, Nova ranks #46 among American girls' names, according to Social Security records. 4,657 girls received the name that year. Popularity is fading: #38 five years ago, #46 now. SSA records for Nova go back to 1885; the peak came in 2021 at #32, with 5,574 babies named that year. Geographically, it's strongest in Mississippi, where it ranks #9 among girl names.

Rankings

2025 rank
#46
among girl names
Trend
Falling
last 5 years
All-time peak
#32
in 2021 (2020s)
Babies in 2025
4,657
girls named Nova

Nova popularity, 1880–2025

0.098%0.20%0.29%0.39%18801900192019401960198020002020#32 in 2021
Girls — share of U.S. female birthsBoys — share of U.S. male birthsSource: SSA, 1880–2025◆ peak 2021

Where Nova is most popular

Alaska: #29 (13 girls, 0.79% of girls born 2025)AK#29Maine: #68 (14 girls, 0.45% of girls born 2025)ME#68Vermont: fewer than 5 girls named Nova in 2025VT—New Hampshire: #76 (15 girls, 0.40% of girls born 2025)NH#76Washington: #64 (87 girls, 0.30% of girls born 2025)WA#64Idaho: #41 (35 girls, 0.49% of girls born 2025)ID#41Montana: #27 (19 girls, 0.67% of girls born 2025)MT#27North Dakota: #80 (11 girls, 0.41% of girls born 2025)ND#80Minnesota: #82 (60 girls, 0.28% of girls born 2025)MN#82Wisconsin: #34 (89 girls, 0.44% of girls born 2025)WI#34Michigan: #31 (156 girls, 0.44% of girls born 2025)MI#31New York: #80 (170 girls, 0.22% of girls born 2025)NY#80Massachusetts: #138 (40 girls, 0.17% of girls born 2025)MA#138Rhode Island: #120 (7 girls, 0.29% of girls born 2025)RI#120Oregon: #43 (53 girls, 0.41% of girls born 2025)OR#43Nevada: #28 (48 girls, 0.52% of girls born 2025)NV#28Wyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Nova in 2025WY—South Dakota: #23 (22 girls, 0.72% of girls born 2025)SD#23Iowa: #30 (58 girls, 0.49% of girls born 2025)IA#30Illinois: #56 (135 girls, 0.30% of girls born 2025)IL#56Indiana: #29 (121 girls, 0.43% of girls born 2025)IN#29Ohio: #27 (217 girls, 0.46% of girls born 2025)OH#27Pennsylvania: #39 (179 girls, 0.38% of girls born 2025)PA#39New Jersey: #69 (101 girls, 0.28% of girls born 2025)NJ#69Connecticut: #59 (42 girls, 0.37% of girls born 2025)CT#59California: #93 (326 girls, 0.20% of girls born 2025)CA#93Utah: #52 (67 girls, 0.39% of girls born 2025)UT#52Colorado: #65 (70 girls, 0.30% of girls born 2025)CO#65Nebraska: #53 (29 girls, 0.41% of girls born 2025)NE#53Missouri: #22 (123 girls, 0.51% of girls born 2025)MO#22Kentucky: #29 (86 girls, 0.50% of girls born 2025)KY#29West Virginia: #24 (35 girls, 0.69% of girls born 2025)WV#24Virginia: #54 (105 girls, 0.31% of girls born 2025)VA#54Maryland: #40 (80 girls, 0.40% of girls born 2025)MD#40Delaware: #14 (21 girls, 0.93% of girls born 2025)DE#14Arizona: #49 (99 girls, 0.35% of girls born 2025)AZ#49New Mexico: #31 (26 girls, 0.56% of girls born 2025)NM#31Kansas: #61 (42 girls, 0.36% of girls born 2025)KS#61Arkansas: #17 (62 girls, 0.59% of girls born 2025)AR#17Tennessee: #29 (149 girls, 0.46% of girls born 2025)TN#29North Carolina: #28 (203 girls, 0.44% of girls born 2025)NC#28South Carolina: #22 (91 girls, 0.50% of girls born 2025)SC#22District of Columbia: #40 (14 girls, 0.69% of girls born 2025)DC#40Oklahoma: #19 (86 girls, 0.58% of girls born 2025)OK#19Louisiana: #12 (104 girls, 0.64% of girls born 2025)LA#12Mississippi: #9 (65 girls, 0.73% of girls born 2025)MS#9Alabama: #19 (107 girls, 0.58% of girls born 2025)AL#19Georgia: #17 (212 girls, 0.47% of girls born 2025)GA#17Hawaii: #19 (18 girls, 0.84% of girls born 2025)HI#19Texas: #61 (416 girls, 0.26% of girls born 2025)TX#61Florida: #39 (319 girls, 0.37% of girls born 2025)FL#39
Share of girls born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: Delaware (#14), Hawaii (#19), Alaska (#29)

Uniqueness score

15/ 100Ultra popular
everywhereone of a kind

You'll meet plenty of them — a true chart-topper. Based on how many babies per birth were named Nova in the most recent year of SSA data.

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Nova as a boy name

Nova holds the #1305 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 149 newborn boys in a single year. The name has been cooling off, slipping from #758 in 2020 to #1305 today. Its strongest year on record was 2020 (#758 nationally, 317 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1880. The name's biggest fan base is in South Carolina (#668 there in 2025).

2025 rank
#1305
among boy names
Trend
Falling
last 5 years
All-time peak
#758
in 2020 (2020s)
Babies in 2025
149
boys named Nova

Where Nova (boys) is most popular

Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025AK—Maine: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025ME—Vermont: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025VT—New Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025NH—Washington: #898 (6 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)WA#898Idaho: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025ID—Montana: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025MT—North Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025ND—Minnesota: #807 (5 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)MN#807Wisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025WI—Michigan: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025MI—New York: #1055 (11 boys, 0.01% of boys born 2025)NY#1055Massachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025MA—Rhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025RI—Oregon: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025OR—Nevada: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025NV—Wyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025WY—South Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025SD—Iowa: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025IA—Illinois: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025IL—Indiana: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025IN—Ohio: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025OH—Pennsylvania: #1231 (5 boys, 0.01% of boys born 2025)PA#1231New Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025NJ—Connecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025CT—California: #1687 (9 boys, 0.01% of boys born 2025)CA#1687Utah: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025UT—Colorado: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025CO—Nebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025NE—Missouri: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025MO—Kentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025KY—West Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025WV—Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025VA—Maryland: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025MD—Delaware: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025DE—Arizona: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025AZ—New Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025NM—Kansas: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025KS—Arkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025AR—Tennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025TN—North Carolina: #936 (8 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)NC#936South Carolina: #668 (6 boys, 0.03% of boys born 2025)SC#668District of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025DC—Oklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025OK—Louisiana: #775 (5 boys, 0.03% of boys born 2025)LA#775Mississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025MS—Alabama: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025AL—Georgia: #1096 (7 boys, 0.01% of boys born 2025)GA#1096Hawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Nova in 2025HI—Texas: #1347 (14 boys, 0.01% of boys born 2025)TX#1347Florida: #912 (15 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)FL#912
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: South Carolina (#668), Louisiana (#775), Minnesota (#807)

Uniqueness score

58/ 100Balanced
everywhereone of a kind

Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Nova in the most recent year of SSA data.

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