| Stella | Nova | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star | new |
| Origin | latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | STEL-uh | NOH-vah |
| 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 |
Directly from the Latin word 'stella' meaning 'star'. It is the clearest, least disputed star name, used in Latin literature and revived in English since the Renaissance (notably by Sir Philip Sidney).
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 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.