Names like Nova
In 2025, 4,657 girls born in the US were named Nova, #46 among girls' names.
It was in the top 1,000 as early as 1885, dropped out, and has been back every year since 2011.
Its best rank was #32, every year from 2021 to 2022.
The most births in one year were 5,927, in 2022.
Births rose 205% from 1,529 in 2015.
For 9 of the 12 names below, the current unbroken run in the top 1,000 began in 2006 or later (Nova's began in 2011).
Nova's rank every ten years
- 1880—
- 1890#688
- 1900#653
- 1910#742
- 1920#679
- 1930#786
- 1940—
- 1950—
- 1960—
- 1970—
- 1980—
- 1990—
- 2000—
- 2010—
- 2020#38
- 2025#46
— outside the top 1,000
12 girl names with a similar curve
How this list was made
We compared Nova's rank in every year from 1880 to 2025 with every other girl's name in the 2025 top 1,000 (US Social Security birth records); the closest curves come first. Years outside the top 1,000 count the same however far outside, years since 1995 count four times as much, and each name appears in one spelling.