Total births
55,783
Unisex name · since 1885
Nova
55,783 babies named Nova in U.S. Social Security records since 1885, with the highest year being 2022. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #39
- among girls today
- 55,783
- born since 1885
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Nova currently ranks #39 among unisex names in America, with 55,783 babies recorded since 1885.
Social Security Administration records show Nova recorded 55,783 times among girls since 1885, holding rank #39 nationally today, ahead of 99.8% of girls, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #39 among girls today
- 55,783 born since 1885
- 2020s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nova is currently the #39 unisex name in America, more common than 99.8% of girls - 55,783 born since 1885, peaking in the 2020s.
- #39
- among girls today
- 55,783
- born since 1885
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Nova vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#39
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
57% of everyone ever named Nova was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
5,927 babies were named Nova in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Nova compares
55,783 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nova's all-time total is 146x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nova | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 55,783 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,927 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nova's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nova's full recorded timeline at 1955, 94% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 6% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1887, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 5,927 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nova at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
2022
Current rank
#39
Active since
1885
Nova popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 5,927
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Nova popularity over time - boys
3,227 total births recorded since 1880 (Nova as boys' name)
Nova by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Nova's strongest decade.
31,518 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 57% of all-time use.
Nova births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 52
1880s
52 births
- 1890s 187
1890s
187 births
- 1900s 279
1900s
279 births
- 1910s 629
1910s
629 births
- 1920s 891
1920s
891 births
- 1930s 657
1930s
657 births
- 1940s 369
1940s
369 births
- 1950s 283
1950s
283 births
- 1960s 402
1960s
402 births
- 1970s 589
1970s
589 births
- 1980s 360
1980s
360 births
- 1990s 289
1990s
289 births
- 2000s 1,221
2000s
1,221 births
- 2010s
2010s
18,057 births
- 2020s
2020s
31,518 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 31,518 births (57% of all-time use).
How Nova compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Nova's total volume
Nova vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nova by state
Where Nova concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 4,562 | 8.2% |
| #2 | California | | 4,299 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 2,933 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 2,444 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 2,303 | 4.1% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 2,270 | 4.1% |
| #7 | New York | | 2,166 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 2,050 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Nova's total US births 8.2%
Even split
4,562 of 55,783 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Nova appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nova? ▼
Nova has been given to 55,783 babies in the U.S. since 1885, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #39 as of the latest data. 5,927 babies were born in 2022, its single highest year.
When was Nova most popular? ▼
Nova was most popular in the 2020s decade with 31,518 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Nova most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nova are Texas (4,562 births), California (4,299 births), Florida (2,933 births).
Is Nova a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Nova is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 55,783 births, and as a boy's name it has 3,227 births.
How long has the name Nova been used? ▼
Nova has been recorded in Social Security data since 1885, spanning 141 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nova? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Novella, Novalee, Novah, Novaleigh, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nova's data
- Texas records the most Novas (4,562 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nova
Nearby Names Like Nova
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nova
Novella Girl
#3518 6,272 births
Novalee Girl
#743 4,567 births
Novah Girl
#889 3,469 births
Novaleigh Girl
#1794 1,451 births
November Girl
#3543 1,004 births
Compare Nova side by side: Nova vs Novella Nova vs Novalee Nova vs Novah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nova
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nova: #39 Unisex Name - 55,783 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nova. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nova draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.