Novalee is a modern American name that combines Nova, the Latin word for "new" and the term for a suddenly bright star, with the fashionable -lee ending. It owes its spark to Novalee Nation, the heroine of Billie Letts's 1995 novel Where the Heart Is, played by Natalie Portman in the 2000 film. Novalee entered the US top 1000 in 2016, peaked at number 743 in 2024 and ranks number 977 among girls' names in 2025.