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
Nova popularity, 1880–2025
Where Nova is most popular
Uniqueness score
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.
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).