Zola

An uncommon Italian pick — distinctive and rare.

Girl's name| Also boysItalianDeclining Also a pet name
#1106 14in 2024

Meaning & Origin

A surname from Italian.

Zola is a girl's and boy's baby name of Italian origin, from a place name in Lombardy, though also used as a surname in French Jewish tradition — most famously by the French novelist Émile Zola, who wrote 'J'Accuse' and the Rougon-Macquart series.

In recent years, Zola gained parenting-community fame when Beyoncé and Jay-Z named their daughter Blue Ivy, and Zola entered the spotlight through the viral Twitter thread turned film Zola (2021). It's short, striking, literary, and effortlessly cross-cultural.

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Popularity Over Time

Zola climbed 4270 spots in the last 20 years — from #5376 to #1106.

06913920827718801900192019401960198020002024

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Zola
DecadeBirthsTrend
2020s1,232
2010s1,524
2000s360
1990s90
1980s51
1970s100
1960s149
1950s348
1940s514
1930s812
1920s1,493
1910s1,285
1900s579
1890s442
1880s138

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(142 years, 18802024)
Year-by-year popularity data for the name Zola
YearBirthsRank
2024221#1106
2023219#1120
2022250#1028
2021265#981
2020277#933
2019266#977
2018277#955
2017240#1068
2016186#1293
2015130#1654
2014127#1673
2013101#1967
201296#2027
201157#3013
201044#3622
200950#3360
200848#3474
200746#3599
200654#3134
200535#4117

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Zola as a Boy's Name

While overwhelmingly a girl's name, Zola has also been given to 26 boys in the U.S. since 1916.

Unranked
Current rank
26
Total births
1916
Peak year
Compare Zola as girl vs boy

Frequently Asked

Can Zola be used for both boys and girls?
Yes, Zola is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name, it currently ranks #1106. As a boy's name, it is not currently in the top rankings.

Zola has two lives

Zola, the baby name
#1106girls
9,117 babies
Currently viewing
Zola, the pet name
#938pet name
126 pets
View pet page →

Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (18802024) · Methodology