Ola
Ola is a girl's name of Norse origin.
Meaning
Ancestor's descendant, or holy/blessed.
Origin and history
Ola is a short name with multiple historical roots, notably as an Old Norse feminine variant related to Olava/Olaf meaning 'ancestor's descendent' or as a West Slavic short form of Olga meaning 'holy' or 'blessed'. In the United States, it was popular at the turn of the 20th century but is now uncommon.
Popularity in the United States
29,651 babies in the United States have been named Ola since 1880. It ranks #839 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #2019.
States where it is most popular
- TX (14.1 %)
- GA (12.3 %)
- AL (12.1 %)
- NC (8.3 %)
- MS (6.9 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 1,421 |
| 1890-1900 | 2,652 |
| 1900-1910 | 3,410 |
| 1910-1920 | 5,767 |
| 1920-1930 | 6,485 |
| 1930-1940 | 4,150 |
| 1940-1950 | 2,830 |
| 1950-1960 | 1,522 |
| 1960-1970 | 508 |
| 1970-1980 | 248 |
| 1980-1990 | 202 |
| 1990-2000 | 132 |
| 2000-2010 | 117 |
| 2010-2019 | 125 |
| 2020-2029 | 82 |
Famous people named Ola
- Ola Ray: Actress, Model
Fun facts
- Ola ranked consistently among the top 200 girl names in the United States during the late 1880s and early 1890s.
- While widely recognized as a Scandinavian feminine form of Olaf, Ola is also used as a diminutive of Olga in Slavic languages.