Devola
A feminine name derived from the Spanish word "devola", meaning "devout" or "reverent".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Devola. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Devola today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Devola births was 1976 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Devola. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Devola. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1976
6 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1976 SSA rank
#8,418
Tracked since 1927
Popularity
Devola: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Devola from the 1920s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Devola by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Devola during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Devola
The given name Devola is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, where it was derived from the words "deva" meaning "deity" or "divine being," and "loka" meaning "world" or "realm." This suggests that the name may have initially held a spiritual or religious significance, possibly referring to the divine realm or the abode of the gods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Devola can be traced back to the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, which is estimated to have been composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In this ancient text, Devola is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a sage or rishi who appears in several episodes.
During the medieval period in India, there are records of several individuals bearing the name Devola, although details about their lives and accomplishments are scarce. One notable figure was Devola Bhatta, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and grammarian who lived in the 12th century CE and wrote influential works on Hindu philosophy and linguistics.
In the 16th century, there was a Devola Devi, a princess from the Rajput clan of Mewar, who is said to have been renowned for her beauty and intelligence. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her kingdom during a tumultuous period of power struggles and conflicts.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Devola Sarkar was a prominent Indian educator and social reformer who advocated for women's education and worked tirelessly to establish schools and educational institutions for girls in Bengal.
Another notable figure was Devola Chatterjee, a renowned Bengali writer and poet who lived from 1870 to 1938. She was a pioneering figure in the realm of Bengali literature and is credited with introducing new styles and themes into her works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
It is important to note that while the name Devola has its roots in ancient India and Sanskrit, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions over time, likely due to cultural exchanges and migrations. However, the specifics of its use and popularity outside of the Indian subcontinent are less well-documented in historical records.
People
Devola + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Devola as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Devola: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Devola?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Devola going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Devola a common name?
We classify Devola as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Devola most popular?
The single biggest year for Devola was 1976, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Devola is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Devola in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Devola a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Devola in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Devola still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Devola in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Devola can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Devola?
Find out how many people have the name Devola on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.