The name comes from Slavic Novgrad ("New Castle") from which evolved SlovakNovohrad (with the same meaning) and Hungarian Nógrád. 1138/1329 civitas Naugrad, around 1200 castrum Nougrad, 1217 castrum de Nevgrad.[1] The village (1405 villa Newgrad) and the county was named after the castle.
References
^Branislav, Varsik (1994). "Osídlenie Novohradu a Ipeľskej kotliny vo svetle miestnych názvov". Kontinuita medzi veľkomoravskými Slovienmi a stredovekými severouhorskými Slovanmi (Slovákmi) (in Slovak). Veda. p. 115. ISBN80-224-0175-7.