Nola
Generally explained as a short form of the Irish Fionnuala, from fionn, fair, and guala, shoulder. It also matches the name of a town in southern Italy.
Nola in 2025
Nola was given to 331 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,582nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 10,016 babies born.
The history of Nola
Nola reached its highest point in 2020, when 537 babies were given the name, ranking 1,084th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 389th, in 1894.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 26,271 babies have been named Nola. Half of them were born before 1946, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Nola by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nola | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 424 | 477 |
| 1890s | 929 | 389 |
| 1900s | 1,334 | 408 |
| 1910s | 2,630 | 484 |
| 1920s | 3,172 | 658 |
| 1930s | 3,001 | 641 |
| 1940s | 2,475 | 748 |
| 1950s | 2,183 | 937 |
| 1960s | 1,130 | 1,373 |
| 1970s | 516 | 2,387 |
| 1980s | 422 | 2,762 |
| 1990s | 305 | 5,462 |
| 2000s | 1,461 | 1,660 |
| 2010s | 3,696 | 1,165 |
| 2020s | 2,593 | 1,084 |
Where Nola is heading
Nola has fallen 10% over the past decade, from 368 babies in 2015 to 331 in 2025.
Names like Nola
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nola.