Naola
Naola is a feminine name of uncertain origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Naola. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Naola today is around 81 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Naola births was 1923 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Naola. 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
- • The typical person named Naola is about 81 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Naolas were born before 1955.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Naola. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1923
10 babies that year
Average age
81
years old
1939 SSA rank
#4,748
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Naola: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Naola from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 23 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Naola remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Naola 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 Naola 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 Naola
The name Naola is believed to have originated from the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in the region of Mesopotamia between 4500 and 1900 BCE. It is derived from the Sumerian words "na" meaning "life" and "ola" meaning "to protect" or "to guard." Therefore, the name Naola is thought to signify "protector of life" or "guardian of life."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Naola can be found in cuneiform inscriptions on clay tablets from the ancient city of Ur, dating back to around 2500 BCE. These tablets mention a priestess named Naola who served in the temple of the moon god Nanna.
In ancient Sumerian mythology, Naola was also the name of a minor deity associated with fertility and the protection of pregnant women and newborn infants. She was often depicted as a benevolent figure holding a baby in her arms.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Naola. One such figure was Naola of Thebes (c. 1450 BCE), a renowned Egyptian scribe and scholar who authored several treatises on subjects ranging from astronomy to medicine.
Another prominent figure was Naola of Carthage (c. 300 BCE), a Punic military commander who played a crucial role in the Carthaginian resistance against the Roman Republic during the Punic Wars.
During the medieval period, Naola of Aquitaine (c. 1020 CE) was a notable French noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her support of troubadour poets and musicians.
In the Renaissance era, Naola da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian artist and sculptor, though overshadowed by her more famous brother, Leonardo da Vinci. She is credited with several sculptural works commissioned by the Medici family in Florence.
More recently, Naola Bhutto (1928-2007) was a Pakistani politician and activist who played a significant role in the country's struggle for democracy and women's rights.
While the name Naola has ancient roots and a rich historical legacy, it is relatively uncommon in modern times, though it continues to be used in various cultures and regions around the world.
People
Naola + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Naola as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Naola: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Naola?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Naola 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Naola a common name?
We classify Naola as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Naola most popular?
The single biggest year for Naola was 1923, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Naola is about 81 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 Naola in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Naola a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Naola 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 Naola still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Naola 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 Naola 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 are named Naola?
Find out how many Americans are named Naola on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.