Nola ranks at #571 with 217 entries, registered female. The name has two parallel sources that converge in American naming: an Irish-derived short form of Finola or Fionnuala ("fair shoulder"), and the place-name shorthand for New Orleans (N.O.LA.). Both readings carry a soft warmth that makes the name land easily on small dogs and cats.
The New Orleans connection
A real cohort of Nola pets are named after the city, particularly by owners with Louisiana roots, brass-band-and-beignet aesthetic preferences, or a specific connection to New Orleans culture. The naming logic mirrors what owners do with Brooklyn, Austin, and Phoenix — turning a city into a personal-warmth signal.
The Irish lineage
Nola as a freestanding Irish name has been on the American chart since the early 1900s as an alternative to Nora and Lola. The cohort skews vintage-revival, similar to Cora and Nora, with a soft two-syllable shape (NO-la) that is easy to call and easy to hear.
Breed lean and human crossover
The name lands disproportionately on small-to-medium companion breeds and rescue mixes with calm energy. The Nola baby name page shows the name climbing on the SSA chart through the 2010s, riding the same vintage-revival wave that brought back Nora and Cora. Pet and human Nola are sharing a moment, and the cohort overlap is real but not crowded.