Novah
A variant spelling of Nova, meaning "new" from Latin origins.
Name Census estimates that about 3,683 living Americans carry the first name Novah. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 86.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Novah today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Novah births was 2020 (578 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Novah. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Novah with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Novah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 6 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.7K
~ 1 in 93,064 Americans
Peak year
2020
578 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#891
Tracked since 2006
Gender
Gender distribution for Novah
Novah leans heavily female at 86.7% of total registrations, but 493 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Novah as a male name
- Ranked #2,854 in 2024
- 45 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (61 births)
Novah as a female name
- Ranked #891 in 2024
- 300 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (517 births)
Popularity
Novah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Novah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 2,264 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Novah 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 Novah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Novahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 34 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Novah, while New Mexico, Kansas, Nevada recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 80 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Novah
The name Novah is believed to have originated from the Latin word "nova," which means "new" or "fresh." It is a relatively modern name that has gained popularity in recent years, particularly in English-speaking countries.
The earliest recorded use of the name Novah dates back to the late 20th century. It is possible that the name was inspired by the astronomical term "nova," which refers to a temporary bright star that suddenly increases in brightness due to a nuclear fusion reaction on the surface of a white dwarf star.
While the name Novah does not have a long historical tradition, it has been adopted by a few notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name is Novah Grayson, an American singer and songwriter who was born in 1990.
Another person named Novah is Novah Carnahan, an American artist and illustrator who gained recognition for her work in the fantasy and science fiction genres. She was born in 1982 and has contributed to various publications and projects.
In the field of sports, Novah Sellah is a professional soccer player from Jamaica who played as a defender for several clubs in the United States and Jamaica. He was born in 1992 and has represented the Jamaican national team.
Novah Adele is a Canadian actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films. She was born in 1989 and is known for her roles in productions such as "Shadowhunters" and "The Strain."
Lastly, Novah Leis is a New Zealand-born artist and designer who specializes in creating intricate paper sculptures and installations. She was born in 1986 and her works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.
While the name Novah may not have a long historical lineage, it has gained popularity in recent times, possibly due to its unique and modern sound, as well as its association with concepts of newness and freshness.
People
Novah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Novah 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
Novah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Novah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,683 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Novah 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 93,064 US residents.
Is Novah a common name?
We classify Novah as "Rare". It ranks above 95.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,706 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Novah most popular?
The single biggest year for Novah was 2020, when 578 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Novah is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Novah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Novah a female name?
Yes, 86.7% of people registered as Novah 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.
Is Novah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Novah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Novah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Novah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.