Denise vs Nova
Denise 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Denise was ranked #4843 and Nova #80 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Denise was ranked #834 and Nova #410 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Denise and Nova over time
Denise and Nova appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Nova held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Denise 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.
Denise 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2000–2024
Denise held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Nova in 13.
Highest recorded here: Denise #781 in 2003, Nova #80 in 2024.
The order changed in 2012: Nova moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #1903 and #3185; by 2012 that had become #1720 and #1720.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denise #4843, Nova #80.
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 | Denise | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) | Norway · Girls #119 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Nova.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Denise
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1969
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1969).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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