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Nola
Pronounced NOH-luh /ΛnoΚ.lΙ/High
Meaning: Most commonly a short form of the Irish Gaelic name Finola or Fionnuala, meaning 'fair-shouldered'; also used as a nickname for New Orleans (NOLA) and as a short form of MagnoliaMedium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Nola is most directly connected to the Irish Gaelic name Fionnuala (also spelled Fionnuala), meaning 'fair-shouldered', from fionn (white, fair) and guala (shoulder). Fionnuala was the daughter of the sea god Lir in Irish mythology, transformed into a swan. Nola developed as the anglicized short form used in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora.
In the United States, Nola gained additional resonance as the affectionate abbreviation for New Orleans β itself famous for jazz, Creole culture, and festivals. The name also functions as a short form of Magnolia, the Southern flowering tree. This combination of Irish heritage, Southern charm, and musical association has given Nola a distinctive, warm appeal in the 21st century.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- β
Nola Ochs (1911β2016)Nola Ochs (November 22, 1911 β December 9, 2016) was an American woman from Jetmore, Kansas, who on May 14, 2007, became a Guinness World Record holder as the world's oldest college graduate when she received a general studies diploma from Fort Hays State University at the age of 95, graduating alongside her twenty-one-year-old granddaughter Alexandra. She continued her education and earned a master's degree in liberal studies with a concentration in history from the same university in 2010 at the age of 98, and kept taking college courses until she turned 100. She lived to age 105 and became a beloved symbol of lifelong learning, receiving wide media attention and an appearance on the Today show following her record-setting graduation.
- β
Nola Darling (1986β2019 (character))Nola Darling is the fictional protagonist of director Spike Lee's landmark debut feature film She's Gotta Have It (1986), portrayed by Tracy Camilla Johns β a Brooklyn artist who unapologetically maintains three simultaneous romantic relationships on her own terms, a stance that challenged 1980s social conventions around Black female sexuality and autonomy. The character became a significant figure in American independent cinema and was widely discussed in academic contexts as an early example of a complex, self-determining Black female protagonist. Lee revived Nola for a Netflix original series of the same name (2017β2019), with DeWanda Wise playing a millennial version in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, expanding the character's legacy for a new generation.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Nola mean?
Nola is an Irish short form of Fionnuala, meaning fair-shouldered. It also serves as a nickname for New Orleans and a short form of Magnolia.
How do you pronounce Nola?
It is said NOH-luh, with two syllables.
Is Nola an Irish name?
Yes β Nola is primarily an Irish name, a shortened form of Fionnuala from Irish Gaelic mythology.
Is Nola a popular name?
Nola has seen growing popularity in the U.S. in the 2010s and 2020s as a vintage-revival name.