Holding steady.
Popularity of Loyola since 1888
Babies named Loyola per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1926, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Loyola's real moment was 1896.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 18 |
| 1900s | 28 |
| 1910s | 135 |
| 1920s | 171 |
| 1930s | 132 |
| 1940s | 86 |
| 1950s | 42 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Loyola carries the weight of a surname turned given name, forever tied to the founder of the Jesuits. While its earliest recorded U.S. use dates to 1888, the name peaked in 1896 before settling into rare use. As a place name, it evokes the Basque region of Spain, though its top states are unrecorded due to low frequency. Its stable trajectory suggests a niche but enduring presence, unlikely to become common but recognizable to those with Catholic or Spanish heritage.
Loyola is a habitational surname derived from the town of Loyola in the Basque Country, Spain. The place name may come from Basque 'loi' (mud) and 'ola' (place), thus 'muddy place'. The name gained prominence through Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, leading to its use as a given name, particularly in Catholic communities, but it has historically been more common for boys than for girls.
Sibling names for Loyola
Names that share Loyola's style, for a brother or sister.
