Nolana
A feminine name potentially stemming from the Latin word "nola" meaning little bell.
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Nolana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nolana today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nolana births was 1975 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nolana. 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 Nolana. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
1975
9 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1983 SSA rank
#11,461
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Nolana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nolana from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 19 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nolana 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 Nolana 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 Nolana
The name Nolana has its origins in the Latin language and is believed to have been derived from the word "nola," which means "little bell." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone associated with bells or bell-making, possibly a bell ringer or a bell maker.
In ancient Roman times, bells were used for various purposes, including religious ceremonies, signaling the start of events, and even as warning devices. As a result, the name may have been bestowed upon individuals involved in these activities or those who lived near bell towers or workshops where bells were crafted.
The earliest recorded use of the name Nolana can be traced back to the 4th century AD, when it appeared in several Roman historical documents and inscriptions. One notable example is a tombstone inscription from the Catacombs of Callixtus in Rome, which mentions a woman named Nolana who lived during that period.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Nolana continued to be used, albeit infrequently, across various regions of Europe, particularly in Italy and parts of the former Roman Empire. One of the earliest known historical figures bearing this name was Nolana of Campania, a 6th-century abbess and saint who founded a convent in the town of Nola, near Naples.
In the 12th century, a renowned philosopher and logician named Nolana of Nola, also known as Petrus Nolanus, was born in the town of Nola. He made significant contributions to the field of logic and is considered one of the forerunners of modern logical reasoning.
During the Renaissance period, the name Nolana gained further recognition with the birth of Giordano Bruno, an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer, who was born in 1548 in the town of Nola. He is remembered for his innovative and controversial ideas, which challenged traditional beliefs and earned him the moniker "The Nolan."
Another notable figure with the name Nolana was Maria Nolana, an Italian painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century. She was celebrated for her skilled portraiture and her works can be found in various art collections throughout Italy.
While the name Nolana has its roots in ancient Latin, it has maintained a presence throughout history, albeit with varying degrees of popularity. The individuals mentioned above, along with others who may have borne this name, have contributed to its enduring legacy and cultural significance.
People
Nolana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nolana 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
Nolana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nolana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nolana 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 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Nolana a common name?
We classify Nolana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nolana most popular?
The single biggest year for Nolana was 1975, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nolana is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nolana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nolana 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.