Zola
In Zulu and Xhosa this comes from a root meaning calm or peaceful. The identical Italian surname, from a word for a hollow or ditch, is a separate source.
Zola in 2025
Zola was given to 167 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,509th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 19,852 babies born.
The history of Zola
Zola reached its highest point in 2018, when 283 babies were given the name, ranking 1,734th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 588th, in 1895.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 9,312 babies have been named Zola. Half of them were born before 1938, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Zola by decade
| Decade | Babies named Zola | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 138 | 810 |
| 1890s | 442 | 588 |
| 1900s | 579 | 622 |
| 1910s | 1,296 | 729 |
| 1920s | 1,503 | 973 |
| 1930s | 812 | 1,176 |
| 1940s | 514 | 1,635 |
| 1950s | 348 | 2,639 |
| 1960s | 149 | 3,973 |
| 1970s | 100 | 6,106 |
| 1980s | 51 | 11,297 |
| 1990s | 90 | 8,623 |
| 2000s | 360 | 5,377 |
| 2010s | 1,530 | 1,734 |
| 2020s | 1,400 | 1,737 |
Where Zola is heading
Zola has risen 28% over the past decade, from 130 babies in 2015 to 167 in 2025.
Names like Zola
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Zola.