Total births
26,262
Girls' name · since 1880
Nola
26,262 babies named Nola in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2020. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #762
- among girls today
- 26,262
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Nola is the #762 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 26,262 recorded since 1880.
Nola has 26,262 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #762 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- 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.
- #762 among girls today
- 26,262 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nola is currently the #762 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 26,262 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #762
- among girls today
- 26,262
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Nola vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#762
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Nola was born in this single decade.
2020
Single peak year
537 babies were named Nola in 2020 - its busiest year on record.
How Nola compares
26,262 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Nola's all-time total is 69x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nola | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 26,262 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 537 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nola's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Nola's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 44% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 56%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 23 births recorded -- set against the 2020 peak of 537, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Nola at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2020
Current rank
#762
Active since
1880
Nola popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2020)
- 537
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nola popularity over time - boys
9 total births recorded since 1926 (Nola as boys' name)
Nola by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nola's strongest decade.
3,696 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Nola births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 424
1880s
424 births
- 1890s 929
1890s
929 births
- 1900s 1,334
1900s
1,334 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,630 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,163 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,001 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,475 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,183 births
- 1960s 1,130
1960s
1,130 births
- 1970s 516
1970s
516 births
- 1980s 422
1980s
422 births
- 1990s 305
1990s
305 births
- 2000s 1,461
2000s
1,461 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,696 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,593 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 3,696 births (14% of all-time use).
How Nola 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 Nola's total volume
Nola vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nola by state
Where Nola concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,335 | 5.1% |
| #2 | California | | 1,264 | 4.8% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 1,115 | 4.2% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 1,107 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 852 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 848 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 826 | 3.1% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 774 | 2.9% |
Texas share of Nola's total US births 5.1%
Even split
1,335 of 26,262 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Nola appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nola? ▼
Nola has been given to 26,262 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #762 as of the latest data. 537 babies were born in 2020, its single highest year.
When was Nola most popular? ▼
Nola was most popular in the 2010s decade with 3,696 total births. The single peak year was 2020.
Where is Nola most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nola are Texas (1,335 births), California (1,264 births), Tennessee (1,115 births).
How long has the name Nola been used? ▼
Nola has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nola? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nolia, Nolan, Nollie, Nolie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nola's data
- Nola's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (3,696 total births) through the 2020s (2,593) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Nolas (1,335 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Nola
Nearby Names Like Nola
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nola
Nolia Girl
572 births
Nolan Girl
#4684 556 births
Nollie Girl
#13513 365 births
Nolie Girl
298 births
Nolah Girl
#6183 275 births
Compare Nola side by side: Nola vs Nolia Nola vs Nolan Nola vs Nollie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nola
Rosalina #761
5,773 births · Peak 2025
Julie #763
511,253 births · Peak 1958
Inaya #760
3,453 births · Peak 2023
Megan #764
440,065 births · Peak 1990
Lakelyn #759
2,969 births · Peak 2025
Sloan #765
8,385 births · Peak 2021
Aleah #758
16,592 births · Peak 2011
Charleigh #766
9,455 births · Peak 2019
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. "Nola: #762 Girls' Name - 26,262 Births, Peak 2020." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nola. 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 Nola 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.