Norva
Of unknown meaning or origin, potentially derived from the Latin "norma" (a rule or standard).
Name Census estimates that about 91 living Americans carry the first name Norva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Norva today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Norva births was 1931 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Norva. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Norva is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Norvas were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Norva. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
91
~ 1 in 3,766,531 Americans
Peak year
1931
23 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1964 SSA rank
#5,848
Tracked since 1911
Census
Norva in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 223 people with the first name Norva, which placed it at #35,856 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#35,856
National first-name rank
People counted
223
223 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
51.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Norva
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Norva is White at 51.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Norva described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Norva at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.6% · 115
- Black or African American36.3% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 10
- Two or more races4.0% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 2
Popularity
Norva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Norva from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 103 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Norva by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Norva during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Norva
The name Norva is a rare and intriguing moniker with a rich history and fascinating origins. It is believed to have its roots in the ancient Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic tribes that inhabited Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Linguists suggest that Norva may be derived from the Old Norse word "norðr," meaning "north," and the suffix "-va," which was commonly used to form feminine names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Norva can be traced back to the 9th century, when it was mentioned in the Icelandic Sagas. These medieval literary works chronicled the lives and adventures of the Viking explorers and settlers who ventured across the North Atlantic, establishing settlements in places like Iceland, Greenland, and even reaching the shores of North America.
In the realm of historical figures, the name Norva is inextricably linked to the legendary Viking warrior and seafarer, Norva the Fearless. Born in 871 in the Norwegian village of Haugesund, Norva is said to have sailed across treacherous seas and led daring raids against rival clans. Her courage and fierce leadership earned her a place in the annals of Norse folklore, and her name became synonymous with bravery and unwavering determination.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the name Norva was the 11th-century Norwegian noblewoman, Norva Halldorsdottir. A powerful landowner and respected advisor to the King of Norway, Halldorsdottir played a pivotal role in the political and social landscape of her time. Her influence extended far beyond the boundaries of her estates, and her name is often invoked as a symbol of strength and wisdom.
In the realm of literature, the name Norva gained prominence in the 13th-century Icelandic saga, "The Saga of Norva the Wise." This epic tale recounts the adventures of a young woman named Norva, who embarked on a perilous journey across the icy seas, seeking knowledge and enlightenment. Her unwavering pursuit of wisdom and her ability to navigate treacherous waters made her a celebrated figure in the annals of Norse mythology.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning the 16th-century Danish artist, Norva Johannesdatter, whose breathtaking woodcarvings and intricate tapestries adorned churches and noble households across Scandinavia. Her exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail earned her widespread acclaim, and her works became treasured symbols of the rich cultural heritage of the Nordic region.
While the name Norva may have faded from common use in modern times, its legacy remains firmly rooted in the annals of history, a testament to the courage, resilience, and ingenuity of those who bore this moniker throughout the ages.
People
Norva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Norva as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Norva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Norva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 91 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Norva going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,766,531 US residents.
Is Norva a common name?
We classify Norva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 365 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Norva most popular?
The single biggest year for Norva was 1931, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Norva is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Norva in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 223 people with the name Norva, or 0.07 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #35,856 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Norva in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Norva?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Norva leans strongly female. 210 people counted with this name were female (96.3%), compared with 8 male bearers (3.7%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Norva?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Norva is White at 51.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Norva most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Norva in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.6% (115 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Norva in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Norva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Norva in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Norva still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Norva in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Norva can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Norva?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.