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