The first name Nola
A girl’s name from Irish.
2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
From Finola, from Irish Fionnghuala. In the US, also under the influence of the male name Nolan (which see).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 165 girls were named Nola, making it the 275th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 249 births (#206).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Nola with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Nola at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 331 girls born in the United States were named Nola, the 822nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2020, when 537 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Nola
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- R'Bonney GabrielAmerican beauty pageant titleholder (born 1994)
More Irish girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Nola mean?
- From Finola, from Irish Fionnghuala. In the US, also under the influence of the male name Nolan (which see).
- What is the origin of the name Nola?
- From Finola, from Irish Fionnghuala. In the US, also under the influence of the male name Nolan (which see).
- How popular is the name Nola?
- In 2025, 165 girls born in England and Wales were named Nola, ranking 275th. Its peak was 2021, with 249 births.
- Is Nola a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 26,271 US babies named Nola since 1880 were girls.
- When was Nola most popular?
- 2020 in the United States, when 537 babies were named Nola, its highest rank at 553rd.
- Is Nola also a surname?
- Yes. Nola is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.