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Nova

Say it: NOH-va

GirlMeans new4 letters2 syllables

#180

in Ireland (2025)

#183 with spellings combined

26

babies in 2025

#171

best rank (2024)

192

babies since 2012

Up 314

10-year rank change

Nova through the years

Compare with another name →
Nova: babies per year in Ireland, 1964 to 20250102030196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series changePeak 2024: 26
Nova: rank per year in Ireland, 1964 to 2025#1#10#50#100#250#500#1000196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series change
Nova: per 10,000 girls per year in Ireland, 1964 to 2025051015196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series change
Babies per 10,000 girls listed by the CSO that year, which evens out changes in the number of births.
Show the numbers
YearBabies (girls)Rank
202526#183
202426#171
202310#358
202219#235
202125#192
20209#407
201917#273
201817#266
201716#289
20169#451
20158#497
20147#542
20123#908

Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.

★ What does Nova mean?

New

Latin, from nova, the feminine form of novus (new).

Say it right

NOHva

The story of Nova

Nova comes from Latin, where nova means “new”. In astronomy a nova is a star that suddenly flares up much brighter than before, which is where many people first meet the word. As a given name it has been used now and then for over a century, but it has only become a regular choice recently, alongside other short, bright names such as Luna and Aurora.

In Ireland Nova first appears in the CSO records in 2012, and it has been given every year since 2014. Its best year was 2024, when 26 girls were named Nova and it reached number 171. The name is more popular in Northern Ireland, where it reached number 101 in 2024.

Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Sources
  • Wiktionary: Nova (English proper noun)
  • Wikipedia: Nova (given name)
  • CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
  • NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland

At a glance

Similar names

LunaAuroraIslaAva

Sibling ideas

AxelMiloKai

Spellings counted here

Spelling2025All years
Nova26192

In Northern Ireland

#121 in 2025 with 17 babies. Best rank #101 (2024); 84 babies since 2016.

Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.

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