Meaning & Origin
A female given name used in the U.S. in the end of the nineteenth century.
Ola is a girl's and boy's baby name of Old Norse origin, a Scandinavian short form of Olaf or Olava, from the Old Norse Áleifr, composed of anu (ancestor) and leifr (descendant), meaning 'ancestor's descendant' or 'relic of ancestors' — also used in Polish as a short form of Aleksandra.
With nearly 30,000 recorded births, Ola is used across Scandinavia and Poland as a warm, two-letter feminine name with deep roots. In Scandinavia, it carries the Viking heritage of Olaf — one of Norway's most beloved kings and its patron saint. In Poland, it is the affectionate short form of Aleksandra, carrying that name's meaning of 'defender of men.' Both traditions meet in a name of remarkable brevity and depth.