Cora vs Nova
Cora and Novacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Cora was ranked #40 and Nova #101 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cora was ranked #60 and Nova #59 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cora was ranked #134 and Nova #80 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cora was ranked #86 and Nova #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Cora and Nova over time
Cora and Nova appear together in 3 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Cora held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Nova in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cora reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Nova in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Nova moved ahead of Cora in England and Wales · Girls — #158 and #186 the year before became #153 and #144.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cora #134 in 2024, Nova #80 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2000–2024
Cora held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Nova in 5.
Highest recorded here: Cora #134 in 2024, Nova #80 in 2024.
The order changed in 2020: Nova moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #158 and #186; by 2020 that had become #153 and #144.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cora #134, Nova #80.
Republic of Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 2012–2025
Cora held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Nova in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cora #77 in 2024, Nova #171 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cora #86, Nova #180.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2016–2024
Cora held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Nova in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cora #33 in 2021, Nova #101 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cora #40, Nova #101.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Cora | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Latinized form of Kore (Greek Κόρη), from Greek mythology. Popularised in English by James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans (1826); may also be a short form of Cordula or Corinna. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek, via Latin transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɔɹ.ə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #86 (2025) | Norway · Girls #119 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cora has a recorded origin (Greek, via Latin transmission); Nova does not have one recorded yet.
- Cora and Nova both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cora; Nova doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Cora
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #145 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #33 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #86 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Nova
Popularity journey
First recorded2000
First recorded at #3912 among girls in England and Wales in 2000 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #119 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls