Novella
Girl name · #2544 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 69 baby girls were named Novella, placing it at #2544 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #4144, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 26,087 girls born in 2025 was named Novella.
Babies named Novella per year. Source: SSA.
The 143-year story
Novella first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1923, when 186 girls were named Novella — good for #513 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Novella against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Novella in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Novella is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Novella will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Novella is most common
State-level data for Novella is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Novella
Statistically, parents drawn to Novella tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rosella, Nella, Adella, Lovella, and Carmella.
RosellaNellaAdellaLovellaCarmellaLouellaZellaVella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Novella | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 69 | #2542 |
| 2024 | 44 | #3516 |
| 2023 | 64 | #2704 |
| 2022 | 58 | #2894 |
| 2021 | 51 | #3157 |
| 2020 | 47 | #3281 |
| 2019 | 66 | #2632 |
| 2018 | 53 | #3050 |
| 2017 | 49 | #3247 |
| 2016 | 41 | #3707 |
| 2015 | 35 | #4144 |
| 2014 | 47 | #3369 |
| 2013 | 26 | #5143 |
| 2012 | 28 | #4957 |
| 2011 | 33 | #4353 |
| 2010 | 27 | #5108 |
| 2009 | 25 | #5537 |
| 2008 | 28 | #5142 |
| 2007 | 19 | #6812 |
| 2005 | 6 | #14502 |
| 2004 | 7 | #12761 |
| 2003 | 6 | #13844 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10246 |
| 2001 | 7 | #12056 |
| 2000 | 7 | #11801 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Novella a popular girl name?
Novella ranked #2544 among girls in 2025 with 69 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4144.
When was the name Novella most popular?
Novella peaked in 1923, when 186 American girls received the name (ranked #513 that year). Since 1923 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Novella?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 26,087 newborn American girls was named Novella. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.