Ola
Ola was the 8227th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 140th; the most babies were born in 1921 (755). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,310 places. More babies were named Ola in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin not documented
Say it OH-luh /ˈoʊlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #8,227 girls, down 369 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 13girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1921755 babies
- Total since 1880
- 30,275babies recorded
What does the name Ola mean?
Ola was a common American girls' name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Wiktionary lists it without an origin for that use. The same spelling is a separate name in several other cultures: a Scandinavian man's form of Olaf, a Polish pet form of Olga or Aleksandra, an Arabic name, and a Yoruba name element meaning "honor". Which, if any, inspired American parents of the 1890s is not documented.
How sure is this? Not documented. The 19th-century American Ola has no documented origin; other unrelated names share the spelling.
Related names: Olla, Olah.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ola', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Ola (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Ola popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 624 since 1881.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,227 | 13 |
| 2020 | #7,858 | 14 |
| 2010 | #12,018 | 9 |
| 2000 | #6,406 | 17 |
| 1990 | #8,331 | 10 |
| 1980 | #4,261 | 18 |
| 1970 | #2,340 | 33 |
| 1960 | #1,275 | 75 |
| 1950 | #569 | 216 |
| 1940 | #346 | 349 |
| 1930 | #284 | 529 |
| 1920 | #239 | 748 |
| 1910 | #167 | 422 |
| 1900 | #160 | 352 |
| 1890 | #149 | 239 |
| 1880 | #184 | 67 |
How popular is Ola, counting every spelling?
Ola has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Ola?
13 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ola (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ola 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 646 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ola.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ola?
About 5,000 people born in the US named Ola are alive today, with a median age of 77; half are between 65 and 84. That makes Ola a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Ola by state
How common Ola was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ola: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ola, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ola
How popular is the name Ola?
Ola was the 8227th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 140th; the most babies were born in 1921 (755). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,310 places. More babies were named Ola in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ola a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ola in the US.
Where is Ola most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ola was most common in Michigan (0.03 per 1,000 girls).