UK name, mostly girls
Novah
A variant spelling of Nova, meaning "new" from Latin origins.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Novah is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Novah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1302, with 25 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 31 births.
This profile covers 211 England and Wales registrations across 11 recorded years from 2014 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 81% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 273 living people in the UK are called Novah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Novah ranked #1302 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 25 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 31 girls were registered as Novah.
- • Novah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #351 in 2024.
- • About 273 living people in the UK are estimated to have Novah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 89.8% of Novah registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1302
2024
Births in 2024
25
Latest year
Peak year
2022
31 births
Estimated living
273
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Novah
In England and Wales birth records, Novah has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 10.2% of registrations are for boys and 89.8% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Novah registered for boys
- Ranked #2,921 in 2024
- 7 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (7 births)
Novah registered for girls
- Ranked #1,302 in 2024
- 25 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (31 births)
Meaning
What does Novah mean?
The name Novah is believed to have originated from the Latin word "nova," which means "new" or "fresh." It is a relatively modern name that has gained popularity in recent years, particularly in English-speaking countries.
The earliest recorded use of the name Novah dates back to the late 20th century. It is possible that the name was inspired by the astronomical term "nova," which refers to a temporary bright star that suddenly increases in brightness due to a nuclear fusion reaction on the surface of a white dwarf star.
While the name Novah does not have a long historical tradition, it has been adopted by a few notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name is Novah Grayson, an American singer and songwriter who was born in 1990.
Another person named Novah is Novah Carnahan, an American artist and illustrator who gained recognition for her work in the fantasy and science fiction genres. She was born in 1982 and has contributed to various publications and projects.
In the field of sports, Novah Sellah is a professional soccer player from Jamaica who played as a defender for several clubs in the United States and Jamaica. He was born in 1992 and has represented the Jamaican national team.
Novah Adele is a Canadian actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films. She was born in 1989 and is known for her roles in productions such as "Shadowhunters" and "The Strain."
Lastly, Novah Leis is a New Zealand-born artist and designer who specializes in creating intricate paper sculptures and installations. She was born in 1986 and her works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.
While the name Novah may not have a long historical lineage, it has gained popularity in recent times, possibly due to its unique and modern sound, as well as its association with concepts of newness and freshness.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Novah over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Novah in England and Wales, from 2014 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Novah, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 25 births in 2024, compared with 31 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Novah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Novah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1192 | 139 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2778 | 72 | 6 |
Geography
Where Novah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Novah. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Novah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #351 in 2024.
Across the UK
Novah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#351 in 2024
7 years of NRS records, 56 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#391 in 2023
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Novah
- Niamh 20,347
- Nicole 19,687
- Natasha 15,578
- Nancy 12,607
- Naomi 12,199
- Natalie 10,885
- Nevaeh 7,869
- Nina 7,285
- Neve 7,180
- Natalia 7,099
- Nadia 6,032
- Nicola 4,927
FAQ
Novah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Novah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Novah was ranked #1302 for girls in England and Wales, with 25 births registered.
When was Novah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 31 babies registered as Novah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Novah?
A variant spelling of Nova, meaning "new" from Latin origins.
How many people are called Novah in the UK?
A total of 211 babies have been registered as Novah across the 11 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 56 more in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Novah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Novah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #351 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.