Lolamae
A feminine name composed of Lola and Mae, potentially meaning "lady of brightness".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Lolamae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lolamae today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lolamae births was 1922 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lolamae. 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 Lolamae. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1922
9 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,643
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Lolamae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lolamae from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 37 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lolamae 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 Lolamae 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 Lolamae
The name Lolamae is thought to have originated as a combination of two separate given names – Lola and Mae. The name Lola is derived from the Spanish word "dolores," meaning "sorrows" or "pains," referring to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary. It was popularized in the late 19th century by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla's opera "La Vida Breve," which featured a character named Lola.
The name Mae is an English variant of the name May, which stems from the ancient Roman goddess of fertility and springtime, Maia. It was a popular name in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States.
The combined name Lolamae first appeared in the late 19th century in parts of the American South, likely as a creative combination of the two names. It was initially more prevalent among African American families, but its usage gradually spread across various ethnic groups.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lolamae can be found in the 1880 United States Census, where a young girl named Lolamae Johnson was listed as residing in Georgia. In the early 20th century, the name gained some popularity, particularly in the Southern states.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lolamae. Lolamae Holcombe (1905-1991) was an American painter and art teacher known for her portraits and still-life works. Lolamae Lampe (1904-1995) was a renowned ballerina and choreographer who performed with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York City.
Lolamae Poole (1920-2002) was an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s. Lolamae Pritchett (1924-2018) was a pioneering African American educator and civil rights activist who fought for desegregation in Mississippi.
Another notable figure was Lolamae Avenill (1932-2016), a Canadian artist and sculptor whose works were featured in numerous exhibitions across North America.
While the name Lolamae was relatively uncommon throughout history, it holds a unique combination of cultural influences and has been borne by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, particularly in the arts and education.
People
Lolamae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lolamae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lolamae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lolamae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lolamae 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Lolamae a common name?
We classify Lolamae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 84 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lolamae most popular?
The single biggest year for Lolamae was 1922, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lolamae is about 18 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 Lolamae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lolamae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lolamae 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 Lolamae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lolamae 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 Lolamae 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 Americans are named Lolamae?
Want to know how many people have the name Lolamae? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.