| Lucy | Nova | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light | new |
| Origin | Latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | LOO-see | NOH-vah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1885 |
| Peak year | 2025 (6,176) | 2022 (5,927) |
| In 2025 | 6,176 | 4,657 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lucy | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 29,759 | 31,518 |
| 2010s | 42,024 | 18,057 |
| 2000s | 19,399 | 1,221 |
| 1990s | 6,090 | 289 |
| 1980s | 4,727 | 360 |
| 1970s | 3,700 | 589 |
| 1960s | 8,671 | 402 |
| 1950s | 13,644 | 283 |
| 1940s | 13,128 | 369 |
| 1930s | 16,413 | 657 |
| 1920s | 27,434 | 891 |
| 1910s | 23,117 | 629 |
| 1900s | 11,020 | 279 |
| 1890s | 10,323 | 187 |
| 1880s | 7,520 | 52 |
From the Latin lux, “light.” Saint Lucy is associated with light and sight.
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.
Lucy is more popular than Nova today: about 6,176 US babies were given the name Lucy in 2025, compared with 4,657 named Nova.
Lucy means Light (Latin origin), while Nova means new (latin origin).
In US records, Lucy first appears in 1880 and Nova in 1885, so Lucy has the longer recorded history.