Nola
Nola was the 822nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 331 babies. Its best year was 1894, when it ranked 254th; the most babies were born in 2020 (537). Over the last ten years it has moved down 52 places. More babies were named Nola in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning fair shoulder (via Finola); also an Italian town · Irish, Latin
Say it NOH-luh /ˈnoʊlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #822 girls, down 269 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 331girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2020537 babies
- Total since 1880
- 26,271babies recorded
What does the name Nola mean?
Nola has two sources. Wiktionary explains the girls' name as a short form of Finola, from Irish Fionnghuala, which comes from Old Irish find, fair or white, and guala, shoulder: "fair shoulder." It adds that in the US the boys' name Nolan also influenced it. Separately, Nola is an ancient town near Naples, a Latin name that may come from an Oscan word meaning "new." Nola has been used in the US since 1880.
find (Old Irish, “fair, white”)guala (Old Irish, “shoulder”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Irish source is documented in Wiktionary; some Nolas may come from Nolan or the Italian place.
Related names: Finola, Fenella, Nuala, Nolan.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nola' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fionnghuala' (Irish section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nola popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 9 since 1926.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #822 | 331 |
| 2020 | #553 | 537 |
| 2010 | #857 | 314 |
| 2000 | #2,889 | 50 |
| 1990 | #4,192 | 24 |
| 1980 | #2,520 | 38 |
| 1970 | #1,513 | 66 |
| 1960 | #793 | 168 |
| 1950 | #521 | 247 |
| 1940 | #425 | 259 |
| 1930 | #382 | 322 |
| 1920 | #379 | 306 |
| 1910 | #306 | 158 |
| 1900 | #289 | 129 |
| 1890 | #327 | 60 |
| 1880 | #340 | 23 |
How popular is Nola, counting every spelling?
Nola is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #797 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #822 for Nola on its own. Together these spellings went to 342 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nola | 331 | #822 | 2,056 |
| Nolah | 11 | #9,297 | 89 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Nola?
331 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nola (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Nola born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nola.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nola?
About 13,600 people born in the US named Nola are alive today, with a median age of 18; half are between 8 and 69. That makes Nola mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Nola by state
How common Nola was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (3.8×), Mississippi (3.2×), Georgia (2.1×), Alabama (2.0×), Wisconsin (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, Kansas, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nola: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nola, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nola · Sibling names for Nola
Nola is also a nickname for Magnolia.
Questions about the name Nola
What does Nola mean?
Nola means “fair shoulder (via Finola); also an Italian town” (Irish, Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Nola?
Nola was the 822nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 331 babies. Its best year was 1894, when it ranked 254th; the most babies were born in 2020 (537). Over the last ten years it has moved down 52 places. More babies were named Nola in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Nola a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Nola in the US.
Where is Nola most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nola was most common in Louisiana (0.96 per 1,000 girls), followed by Mississippi and Georgia.