Declining since 2019, #1,334 for girls today.
Popularity of Zola since 1880
Babies named Zola per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2018, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Zola's real moment was 1895.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 138 |
| 1890s | 442 |
| 1900s | 579 |
| 1910s | 1,285 |
| 1920s | 1,493 |
| 1930s | 812 |
| 1940s | 514 |
| 1950s | 348 |
| 1960s | 149 |
| 1970s | 100 |
| 1980s | 51 |
| 1990s | 90 |
| 2000s | 360 |
| 2010s | 1,525 |
| 2020s | 1,400 |
Meaning & origin
Zola entered the U.S. naming landscape in 1880, the first year of Social Security data, and reached its peak popularity early on in 1895. After that peak, the name experienced a long decline, with a notable resurgence in recent years before beginning a new downward trend in 2019. Its modern revival places it at rank 1334 as of 2025, with a rarity factor of 1 in 9,624 births. The name's top states include Maryland, Indiana, and North Carolina, suggesting regional pockets of use. Zola's appeal likely stems from its short, vowel-ending sound and its association with the celebrated French writer Émile Zola, though its exact etymology remains debated.
Zola first appeared in the United States in the 1880s, possibly as a feminine form of the Hungarian name Zoltan (meaning "sultan") or as a surname name inspired by the French writer Émile Zola. Its rise in the 1890s suggests a literary or fashionable coinage, though no single origin is firmly established.
Where Zola is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Zola” around the world
Where Zola lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
55
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Sibling names for Zola
Names that share Zola's style, for a brother or sister.
