| Stella | Nova | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star | New |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | STEL-uh | NOH-vuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1885 |
| Peak year | 2018 (5,164) | 2022 (5,927) |
| In 2025 | 4,136 | 4,657 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Stella | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 27,117 | 31,518 |
| 2010s | 44,225 | 18,057 |
| 2000s | 11,843 | 1,221 |
| 1990s | 1,798 | 289 |
| 1980s | 1,867 | 360 |
| 1970s | 2,563 | 589 |
| 1960s | 4,957 | 402 |
| 1950s | 8,591 | 283 |
| 1940s | 11,363 | 369 |
| 1930s | 11,206 | 657 |
| 1920s | 25,899 | 891 |
| 1910s | 28,526 | 629 |
| 1900s | 11,014 | 279 |
| 1890s | 9,807 | 187 |
| 1880s | 6,130 | 52 |
Stella is the Latin word for “star.” It was coined as a given name by the poet Sir Philip Sidney in the 16th century.
Nova comes from the Latin novus, “new.” In astronomy, a nova is a star that suddenly brightens.
Nova is more popular than Stella today: about 4,657 US babies were given the name Nova in 2025, compared with 4,136 named Stella.
Stella means Star (Latin origin), while Nova means New (Latin origin).
In US records, Stella first appears in 1880 and Nova in 1885, so Stella has the longer recorded history.