Nou
A feminine Khmer name meaning "blessing" or "gift".
Name Census estimates that about 391 living Americans carry the first name Nou. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 86.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Nou today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nou births was 1991 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nou. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
391
~ 1 in 876,610 Americans
Peak year
1991
39 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1995 SSA rank
#5,786
Tracked since 1979
Gender
Gender distribution for Nou
Nou leans heavily female at 86.3% of total registrations, but 56 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Nou as a male name
- Ranked #5,786 in 1995
- 10 male births in 1995
- Peak: 1992 (12 births)
Nou as a female name
- Ranked #10,504 in 2000
- 9 female births in 2000
- Peak: 1993 (34 births)
Popularity
Nou: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nou from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 235 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nou by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nou during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nous live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Minnesota, Wisconsin recorded the most babies named Nou, while Wisconsin, Minnesota, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 68 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nou
The given name Nou has its origins in various cultures and languages, with diverse meanings and historical references.
The name Nou is believed to have derived from the ancient Sanskrit word "Nava," which means new or fresh. It is also speculated to have evolved from the Latin word "Novus," bearing a similar connotation. Variations of the name exist across different languages, such as "Nour" in Arabic and "Nuno" in Portuguese.
One of the earliest known references to the name Nou can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts, where it was associated with concepts of renewal, growth, and rejuvenation. In particular, the name held significance in the celebration of the Hindu festival of Navratri, which marks the beginning of the new year and honors the divine feminine energy.
The name Nou also finds mention in several historical records and literary works. In ancient Greek mythology, Nou was the personification of the divine mind, representing the source of all creation and order in the cosmos. Furthermore, the name appears in various medieval European manuscripts, often used by scribes and scholars during the Renaissance period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nou. One of the earliest recorded examples is Nou Taishi, a Japanese Buddhist monk and calligrapher who lived during the 9th century. His artistic works and teachings significantly influenced the development of Japanese calligraphy and Zen Buddhism.
Another prominent figure with the name Nou was Nou Boubèye, a 16th-century Senegalese military leader and resistance fighter. He played a crucial role in defending the Kingdom of Sine against Portuguese colonizers, earning him a place in the annals of West African history.
In the realm of literature, Nou Shiyuan was a renowned Chinese poet and scholar from the Tang Dynasty, renowned for his contributions to the development of classical Chinese poetry. His works have been widely studied and celebrated throughout the centuries.
Moving forward in time, Nou Chinnawong was a Thai artist and architect who lived in the 19th century. He is best known for his intricate designs and contributions to the restoration of several significant Buddhist temples and structures in Thailand.
Lastly, Nou Vang, a prominent Hmong-American writer and activist, has made significant contributions to raising awareness about the experiences of the Hmong community in the United States. Her literary works and advocacy efforts have garnered widespread recognition and acclaim.
People
Nou + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nou as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nou: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nou?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 391 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nou going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 876,610 US residents.
Is Nou a common name?
We classify Nou as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 408 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nou most popular?
The single biggest year for Nou was 1991, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nou is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nou a female name?
Yes, 86.3% of people registered as Nou in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.