| Nova | Violet | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | new | Violet flower |
| Origin | latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | NOH-vah | VY-uh-let |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1885 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2022 (5,927) | 2025 (7,546) |
| In 2025 | 4,657 | 7,546 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nova | Violet |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 31,518 | 38,031 |
| 2010s | 18,057 | 41,581 |
| 2000s | 1,221 | 9,811 |
| 1990s | 289 | 1,699 |
| 1980s | 360 | 1,393 |
| 1970s | 589 | 1,243 |
| 1960s | 402 | 2,256 |
| 1950s | 283 | 4,153 |
| 1940s | 369 | 6,553 |
| 1930s | 657 | 13,863 |
| 1920s | 891 | 30,022 |
| 1910s | 629 | 23,157 |
| 1900s | 279 | 7,844 |
| 1890s | 187 | 3,076 |
| 1880s | 52 | 879 |
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.
IS a bloom word: from the flower, via Old French 'violete', a diminutive of Latin 'viola' (violet). Also the name of the purple colour named after the flower.
Violet is more popular than Nova today: about 7,546 US babies were given the name Violet in 2025, compared with 4,657 named Nova.
Nova means new (latin origin), while Violet means Violet flower (latin origin).
In US records, Nova first appears in 1885 and Violet in 1880, so Violet has the longer recorded history.