Total births
9,286
Girls' name · since 1880
Zola
9,286 babies named Zola in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1103
- among girls today
- 9,286
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Zola is the #1103 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 9,286 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zola has been recorded 9,286 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #1103 nationally and more common than 94% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1103 among girls today
- 9,286 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Zola is currently the #1103 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 9,286 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1103
- among girls today
- 9,286
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Zola vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1103
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Zola was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
278 babies were named Zola in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Zola compares
9,286 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
Zola's all-time total is 24x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zola | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,286 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 278 | 48 | 19,840 |
Zola's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zola splits its recorded history at 1951: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1980 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 278 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zola at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2018
Current rank
#1,103
Active since
1880
Zola popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 278
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Zola popularity over time - boys
26 total births recorded since 1916 (Zola as boys' name)
Zola by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Zola's strongest decade.
1,525 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Zola births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 138
1880s
138 births
- 1890s 442
1890s
442 births
- 1900s 579
1900s
579 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,285 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,493 births
- 1930s
1930s
812 births
- 1940s 514
1940s
514 births
- 1950s 348
1950s
348 births
- 1960s 149
1960s
149 births
- 1970s 100
1970s
100 births
- 1980s 51
1980s
51 births
- 1990s 90
1990s
90 births
- 2000s 360
2000s
360 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,525 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,400 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,525 births (16% of all-time use).
How Zola 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 Zola's total volume
Zola vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Zola by state
Where Zola concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 357 | 3.8% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 356 | 3.8% |
| #3 | California | | 259 | 2.8% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 259 | 2.8% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 256 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 235 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 229 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 221 | 2.4% |
Texas share of Zola's total US births 3.8%
Even split
357 of 9,286 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Zola appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zola? ▼
9,286 babies have been named Zola since 1880. It currently ranks #1103 among girls. The peak year was 2018 with 278 births.
When was Zola most popular? ▼
Zola was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,525 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Zola most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zola are Texas (357 births), Kentucky (356 births), California (259 births).
How long has the name Zola been used? ▼
Zola has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Zola? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zollie, Zolani, Zolah, Zolie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Zola's data
- Zola's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,525 total births) through the 2020s (1,400) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Zolas (357 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 Zola
Nearby Names Like Zola
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zola
Zollie Girl
134 births
Zolani Girl
#6159 108 births
Zolah Girl
74 births
Zolie Girl
60 births
Zolana Girl
#11053 30 births
Compare Zola side by side: Zola vs Zollie Zola vs Zolani Zola vs Zolah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zola
Xochitl #1102
6,116 births · Peak 2024
Meera #1104
4,259 births · Peak 2025
Dania #1101
8,818 births · Peak 2007
Juana #1105
18,793 births · Peak 1994
Lesly #1100
15,281 births · Peak 2003
Sunnie #1106
2,692 births · Peak 2024
Kathleen #1099
713,645 births · Peak 1951
Lauryn #1107
22,156 births · Peak 1999
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. "Zola: #1103 Girls' Name - 9,286 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zola. 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 Zola 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.