Nova

Nova was the number 80 most popular girls' name in England and Wales in 2024, given to 603 babies that year, according to the Office for National Statistics. It moved up 1 place from rank 81 in 2023. As general background, Nova is usually said to be of Latin origin, meaning new. The popularity figures are the real ONS count and rank; the meaning is widely attested etymology, not a claim about any individual.

Nova in the ONS data

ONS rank (2024, England and Wales) 80 of the girls' names
Babies given this name (2024) 603
Registered as a girl's name
Change since 2023 up 1 place from rank 81 in 2023

Source: ONS Baby names in England and Wales, 2024 edition, released 2025-07-31. Accessed 2026-06-14. The rank and count are the real ONS figures for England and Wales. Refreshed each year on the ONS release.

What Nova means

Nova is usually described as a name of Latin origin, meaning new. This is general etymological background drawn from established naming reference works. It describes the name's history and is not a claim about any individual who carries it.

Meanings and origins are general background, not ONS data and not advice.

Nova also appears in these lists

Nova appears in these baby name themes on BabyData, each built from the official ONS 2024 rankings.

Names like Nova

Other names from the ONS 2024 rankings that share a theme with Nova.

Nearby in the girls' ranking

See the full ranked list of most popular UK baby names →

OM

Oliver Mackman

Editor, BabyData

Oliver Mackman is the named editor of BabyData and a director of Best Business Loans Ltd (Companies House 16833937), the company that operates the site. He is accountable for its editorial standards, sourcing and corrections, and requires every number to cite the underlying rule and the official UK dataset behind it, with pregnancy tools reviewed against NHS and gov.uk guidance before publication.

Last reviewed: 12 June 2026