| Regina | Nova | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | queen | new |
| Origin | latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ruh-JEE-nuh | NOH-vah |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1885 |
| Peak year | 1962 (5,002) | 2022 (5,927) |
| In 2025 | 786 | 4,657 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Regina | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,995 | 31,518 |
| 2010s | 6,250 | 18,057 |
| 2000s | 4,551 | 1,221 |
| 1990s | 6,915 | 289 |
| 1980s | 14,578 | 360 |
| 1970s | 28,319 | 589 |
| 1960s | 45,827 | 402 |
| 1950s | 30,797 | 283 |
| 1940s | 12,713 | 369 |
| 1930s | 7,045 | 657 |
| 1920s | 10,676 | 891 |
| 1910s | 7,389 | 629 |
| 1900s | 2,243 | 279 |
| 1890s | 1,353 | 187 |
| 1880s | 621 | 52 |
From the Latin 'regina', meaning 'queen' (feminine of 'rex'). Long used as a title of the Virgin Mary (Regina Caeli, 'Queen of Heaven'). A literal, well-established 'queen' 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 Regina today: about 4,657 US babies were given the name Nova in 2025, compared with 786 named Regina.
Regina means queen (latin origin), while Nova means new (latin origin).
In US records, Regina first appears in 1880 and Nova in 1885, so Regina has the longer recorded history.