Total births
9,659
Girls' name · since 1880
Iola
9,659 babies named Iola in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11127
- among girls today
- 9,659
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Iola currently ranks #11127 among girls' names in America, with 9,659 babies recorded since 1880.
Iola has 9,659 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #11127 as of the latest data, more common than 37% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #11127 among girls today
- 9,659 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 37% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Iola is currently the #11127 girls' name in America, more common than 37% of girls - 9,659 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #11127
- among girls today
- 9,659
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Iola vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11127
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 37% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Iola was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
368 babies were named Iola in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Iola compares
9,659 Top 9% higher than 91% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Iola's all-time total is 25x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Iola | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,659 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 368 | 48 | 19,840 |
Iola's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Iola's full recorded timeline at 1942, 14% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 86% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1968, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 368 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Iola at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#11,127
Active since
1880
Iola popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 368
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Iola by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Iola's strongest decade.
2,546 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Iola births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 233
1880s
233 births
- 1890s 471
1890s
471 births
- 1900s 953
1900s
953 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,525 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,546 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,367 births
- 1940s 692
1940s
692 births
- 1950s 437
1950s
437 births
- 1960s 164
1960s
164 births
- 1970s 79
1970s
79 births
- 1980s 40
1980s
40 births
- 2000s 19
2000s
19 births
- 2010s 78
2010s
78 births
- 2020s 55
2020s
55 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,546 births (26% of all-time use).
How Iola compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Iola's total volume
Iola vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Iola by state
Where Iola concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 435 | 4.5% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 367 | 3.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 334 | 3.5% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 304 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 296 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 294 | 3.0% |
| #7 | South Carolina | | 270 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 247 | 2.6% |
Alabama share of Iola's total US births 4.5%
Even split
435 of 9,659 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 39 reporting states.
Iola appears in 39 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Iola? ▼
9,659 babies have been named Iola since 1880. It currently ranks #11127 among girls. The peak year was 1918 with 368 births.
When was Iola most popular? ▼
Iola was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,546 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Iola most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Iola are Alabama (435 births), North Carolina (367 births), Texas (334 births).
How long has the name Iola been used? ▼
Records for Iola go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Iola? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Iolana, Iolani, Iolanda, Iolene, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Iola's data
- Iola's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,546 total births); usage has since declined to 55 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Alabama records the most Iolas (435 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Iola
Nearby Names Like Iola
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Iola
Iolana Girl
#11707 104 births
Iolani Girl
#16302 102 births
Iolanda Girl
64 births
Iolene Girl
50 births
Iole Girl
18 births
Compare Iola side by side: Iola vs Iolana Iola vs Iolani Iola vs Iolanda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Iola
Vinnie #11126
3,119 births · Peak 1916
Beryl #11128
10,130 births · Peak 1920
John #11125
21,744 births · Peak 1927
Charles #11129
12,476 births · Peak 1927
Harriett #11124
21,621 births · Peak 1920
Gena #11130
12,824 births · Peak 1968
Mayme #11123
10,928 births · Peak 1915
Esta #11131
4,439 births · Peak 1920
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Iola: #11127 Girls' Name - 9,659 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/iola. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Iola draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.