Given name & surname · also Gaelic
Nola
“one who is fair; a white-shouldered woman”·“a champion of the people”
In Irish and Australian use, Nola is a feminine form of Nolan. One Irish interpretation is “a champion of the people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Irish use, Nola carries the interpretation “one who is fair; a white-shouldered woman.” In Irish and Australian use, Nola is a feminine form of Nolan. One Irish interpretation is “a champion of the people.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Irish.
How it developed
Nola is used as a form of Finola.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nola through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 26,271
- 9 boys · 26,262 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 537 babies
- 2025
- 331
- #822 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −8%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 331 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 822 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 7.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (23). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 12,273 as a first name in 2020; 612 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Nola’s family of names
Nola is a feminine form of Nolan. Nola has a related form in Nuala. In French usage, Nola has a related form in NOLE.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Nolahvariant
- Nualavariant
- Nolevariant · French
- Nuallanvariant
- Noollavariant
- Noolavariant
- Nullavariant
- Nulavariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Nola
- R'Bonney GabrielAmerican beauty pageant titleholder (born 1994)
- Nola LuxfordNew Zealand actress (1895-1994)1901–1994
- Nola HattermanDutch actress, teacher and artist (1899-1984)
- Nola Chiltonan American-born Israeli theater director and acting teacher.1922–2021
- Nola RaeAustralian mime artistborn 1949
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Nola, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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