| Clara | Nova | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright, clear | new |
| Origin | Latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KLAIR-uh | NOH-vah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1885 |
| Peak year | 1918 (5,778) | 2022 (5,927) |
| In 2025 | 3,601 | 4,657 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Clara | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,277 | 31,518 |
| 2010s | 26,657 | 18,057 |
| 2000s | 12,789 | 1,221 |
| 1990s | 6,266 | 289 |
| 1980s | 3,668 | 360 |
| 1970s | 3,290 | 589 |
| 1960s | 6,505 | 402 |
| 1950s | 12,768 | 283 |
| 1940s | 20,028 | 369 |
| 1930s | 31,658 | 657 |
| 1920s | 48,183 | 891 |
| 1910s | 44,346 | 629 |
| 1900s | 23,899 | 279 |
| 1890s | 25,473 | 187 |
| 1880s | 17,717 | 52 |
From the Latin clarus, “bright” or “clear.” Saint Clare of Assisi carried the name.
From Latin 'nova', the feminine of 'novus' meaning 'new'. In astronomy a nova is a star that suddenly brightens, which reinforces its celestial, star-related feel.
Nova is more popular than Clara today: about 4,657 US babies were given the name Nova in 2025, compared with 3,601 named Clara.
Clara means Bright, clear (Latin origin), while Nova means new (latin origin).
In US records, Clara first appears in 1880 and Nova in 1885, so Clara has the longer recorded history.