Koula
A Greek diminutive form of the feminine name Nikolina, meaning "victorious people".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Koula. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Koula today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Koula births was 1923 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Koula. 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 Koula. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1923
8 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1977 SSA rank
#9,016
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Koula: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Koula from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 33 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Koula remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Koula 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 Koula 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 Koula
The name Koula is a diminutive form of the Greek name Nikolaos, which is derived from the Greek words "niko" meaning "victory" and "laos" meaning "people." It is a feminine variation of the masculine name Nikolaos and is commonly used in Greece and other areas with Greek cultural influence.
The name Koula has its roots in the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, as Nikolaos was a 4th-century Christian saint and Bishop of Myra in modern-day Turkey. Saint Nikolaos was renowned for his generosity and devotion to helping the poor and needy, which contributed to his immense popularity and the widespread use of his name throughout the Eastern Orthodox world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Koula can be traced back to the 10th century, when it appeared in Byzantine historical records. During the Byzantine Empire, the name Koula was popular among Greek families, particularly those with strong Christian faith and ties to the Orthodox Church.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Koula. One such individual was Koula Pratsika (1850-1926), a Greek philanthropist and feminist who fought for women's rights and education in Greece. Another was Koula Paraska (1878-1940), a renowned Greek singer and actress who performed in various theater productions and operas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the 20th century, Koula Agagiotou (1911-2001) was a prominent Greek actress and singer who appeared in numerous Greek films and stage productions. Koula Bakoyannis (1921-2008) was a Greek politician and the first woman to serve as the Mayor of Athens, holding office from 1975 to 1979.
More recently, Koula Harhalakis (1939-2019) was a Greek-American businesswoman and philanthropist who co-founded the iconic Golden Apple Restaurant in Chicago, which became a culinary landmark and gathering place for the Greek-American community.
While the name Koula is primarily associated with Greek culture and the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, its origins and historical significance have contributed to its enduring popularity across various regions and communities with Greek cultural influences.
People
Koula + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Koula as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Koula: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Koula?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Koula 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Koula a common name?
We classify Koula as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 55 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Koula most popular?
The single biggest year for Koula was 1923, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Koula is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Koula a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Koula 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.
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.