Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Ola

    A girl’s name meaning “honor”, “forge”.

    2 syllables Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Ola means “honor”, “forge”.

    Various origins: * Borrowed from Yoruba Ọlá. Ọlá is an extremely common prefix for Yoruba names (and serves as a common form of shortened names), coming from ọlá (“honor”) * Borrowed from Spanish Ola, a habitational surname from Basque ola (“forge”).

    More names that mean noble.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 11 girls were named Ola, making it the 2,440th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 26 births (#1,279).

    01530 1996200020052010201520202025
    336
    babies named Ola, 1996–2025
    #2,440
    rank in 2025
    2015
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ola with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Ola at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 13 girls born in the United States were named Ola, the 8,227th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 755 were.

    0400800 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    30,275
    babies named Ola since 1880
    #8,227
    rank in 2025
    1921
    peak year

    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 Ola

    9 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Ola John
      Dutch association football player, born 1992
    • Ola Solbakken
      Association football player, born 1998
    • Ola Brown
      British-Nigerian medical doctor, healthcare entrepreneur, born 1986
    • Ola Ray
      American actress, born 1960
    • Ola Afolabi
      British boxer, born 1980
    • Ola Balogun
      Film director, born 1945
    • Ola Hudson
      American fashion designer and costumier (1946–2009)
    • Ola Cohn
      Australian artist, sculptor (1892–1964)
    • August Lindbergh
      (1808-1893) American farmer, politician

    Questions

    What does the name Ola mean?
    Ola means “honor”, “forge”.
    How popular is the name Ola?
    In 2025, 11 girls born in England and Wales were named Ola, ranking 2,440th. Its peak was 2015, with 26 births.
    Is Ola a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 98% of the 30,275 US babies named Ola since 1880 were girls.
    When was Ola most popular?
    1921 in the United States, when 755 babies were named Ola, its highest rank at 240th.
    Is Ola also a surname?
    Yes. Ola is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.