Novah
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Meaning
variant of Nova, from the Latin novus, 'new'
The story
Novah is a variant of Nova, says Behind the Name, and Nova is derived from the Latin novus, "new", first used as a name in the nineteenth century. The h changes nothing that the ear can hear; on paper it makes a name of its own, and the American ledger keeps the two lines separately. The h-spelling's line is brand new even by Nova's standard: about 31 girls in the 2000s, about 1,160 in the 2010s, and about 2,280 so far this decade, already past the whole 2010s total. A smaller boys' line runs beside it, about 250 in the 2010s and about 260 so far in this one. A word that means new, a name young even in its family, and a silent letter doing all the distinguishing.
How popular is Novah around the world?
In the United States, 2,540 babies were named Novah between 2020 and 2025. In Scotland, 9 girls named Novah were registered in 2024, the 351st most common name among girls that year.
Novah is on the official records of the United States, Scotland, England and Wales and Canada.
United States
1 in 8,600
In the United States, 2,540 babies were named Novah between 2020 and 2025.
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Novah peaked in the 2020s.
Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration
Scotland
1 in 5,100
In Scotland, 9 girls named Novah were registered in 2024, the 351st most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names
England and Wales
1 in 18,000
In England and Wales, 30 girls named Novah were born in 2025, ranked 1,110th among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales
Canada
1 in 30,000
In Canada, 12 girls named Novah were born in 2024, ranked 1,854th among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)
Not on the record in Spain, Mexico City, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ireland, New Zealand and Poland: those registries withhold small counts, so rare uses may sit below their floors.
Not on the Chile record: nametree keeps spellings that reached 5 registrations in some year, so rarer uses are not shown. Not on the Montevideo record for 1940 to 2011: that registry withholds nothing, so this spelling was not given there in those years. Not on the France record: nametree keeps spellings that reached 20 births in some year, so rarer uses are not shown. Not on the South Australia record for 1944 to 2017: that registry withholds nothing, so this spelling was not given there in those years. Not on the Austria record for 1984 to 2025: Statistik Austria publishes every first name down to a single birth, so this name was not given there in those years (before 2010 the record covers babies with Austrian citizenship only). Not on Norway’s list: Statistics Norway lists only first names carried by 200 or more living people, so rarer names are not shown.
When you meet Novah
Most people given the name Novah in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Novah deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Novah truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Novah fits with your family’s names and surname.
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