Nova

Nature names have been in vogue for girls since the nineteenth century. These names were taken from plants, gemstones, and even the night sky. Most night sky names didn't catch on for girls right away, though; Nova is one such name. 

Nova is the term used for a certain type of star. That's not where it begins, however. Nova comes from the Latin term for "new;" such a meaning, obviously, does not just apply to stars. Yet, the term is mainly used for exploding stars. 

As described above, Nova has a long history of use. It was first used in small numbers in the late eighteenth century. It became more common at the end of the nineteenth century, but remained rare in the United States. Nova ranked from the mid-1880s to the late 1930s without ever making the top 500. The name spiked in the 1930s in England thanks to British actor Nova Pilbeam. However, Pilbeam had no effect on her name in America. 

Having history is not even enough to make a name traditional; it must also have a sense that it has existed in the past and follow traditional naming practices. Nova Pilbeam gave the name a sense of history in England, but she wasn't as well-known in the United States. Perhaps Nova returned to the charts because of the twenty-first century craze for night-sky names.

The name rose every year until reaching the American top 100 in 2017. Other night-sky names like Luna, Aurora, and Stella have reached the top 100 by that year as well. Parents may have also seen Nova as a mix of Nora and Ava, both of which were in the top 50 by 2017. 

This modern short and sweet name has increased interest in more celestial choices, both traditional and contemporary. Rhea is on the rise right now and Vega has gotten more interest. 

In addition to its celestial vibe, Nova is attractive for its fantasy references, including the Nova Corps from the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Nova Terra from the Starcraft Universe, and Nova Artino/McLain in Marissa Meyer's Renegades novels. These, coupled with the iconic science show, make Nova one of the coolest names of this age (even for boys). 

STYLES:

Compact, Fantastical, Symbolic, Unisex

SISTERS:

Aria, Briar, Eden, Ivy, Journey, Luna, Mila, Remi, Scout, Willow

BROTHERS:

Atlas, Creed, Enzo, Kai, Maverick, Nico, Orion, Phoenix, Rowan, Stone

ALTERNATIVES:

Aura, Clover, Halo, Jovie, Lyra, Marvel, Navy, Nyx, Snow, Vega 

Click here for more names inspired by Nova.

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Grace. "Nova." Baby Girl Names, Nameberry, 2 Nov. 2024, https://nameberry.com/b/girl-baby-name-nova. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Nova." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 28 Feb. 2018, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2018/02/name-of-the-week-nova.html.

"Nova." Names, Behind the Name, 6 Oct. 2024, https://www.behindthename.com/name/nova. 

What do you think about Nova?