Reola
A feminine name of Arabic origin signifying "delicate" or "refined".
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the first name Reola. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Reola today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reola births was 1927 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reola. 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 Reola is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Reolas were born before 1957.
People living today
156
~ 1 in 2,197,143 Americans
Peak year
1927
32 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1962 SSA rank
#6,414
Tracked since 1903
Census
Reola in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 240 people with the first name Reola, which placed it at #34,133 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#34,133
National first-name rank
People counted
240
240 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
78.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reola
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Reola is Black at 78.8%. The next largest groups are White (17.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Reola described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Reola at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.8% · 189
- White17.1% · 41
- Two or more races2.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Popularity
Reola: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reola from the 1900s through to the 1960s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 252 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
Reola 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 Reola during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reolas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Reola, while Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Reola
The name Reola is a unique and fascinating one, with roots that stretch back to the ancient world. Its origins can be traced to the Greek language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "rheo," meaning "to flow" or "to stream." This connection to the concept of flowing water suggests a sense of fluidity, movement, and perhaps even a connection to the natural world.
In the ancient Greek pantheon, there were several deities associated with rivers and streams, which may have influenced the use of this name. One notable example is the river god Achelous, who was said to have the ability to transform into various forms, including that of a bull or a serpent. It is possible that the name Reola was initially bestowed upon individuals who resided near rivers or were believed to possess a connection to these bodies of water.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Reola can be found in various historical texts and records from the Byzantine Empire, which encompassed parts of the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. One notable individual bearing this name was Reola of Edessa, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. According to accounts, she was executed for her religious beliefs during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Another historical figure with the name Reola was a Byzantine noblewoman who lived in the 9th century AD. She was the wife of Basil the Macedonian, who later became the Byzantine Emperor in 867 AD. Reola played a significant role in the court and was known for her intelligence and political acumen.
In the 12th century, there was a Reola of Antioch, a prominent figure in the Crusades. She was known for her bravery and leadership during the siege of Antioch, where she rallied the defenders and helped to repel the invading forces.
Moving forward in time, the name Reola resurfaced in the 16th century with Reola Baiardo, an Italian poet and writer who was celebrated for her lyrical works and contributions to Renaissance literature. She was born in 1530 and her works were widely circulated during her lifetime.
Another notable individual bearing this name was Reola Sánchez, a Spanish painter who lived in the 17th century. She was renowned for her portrait work and was commissioned by members of the Spanish nobility to create grand paintings that adorned the halls of their residences.
While the name Reola may not be as common in modern times, its rich history and fascinating origins continue to captivate those who appreciate the significance of names and their connections to the past. From ancient Greek mythology to Renaissance literature and beyond, the name Reola has left an indelible mark on various cultures and eras.
People
Reola + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reola as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Reola: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reola?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 156 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reola 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 2,197,143 US residents.
Is Reola a common name?
We classify Reola as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 810 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reola most popular?
The single biggest year for Reola was 1927, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reola is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Reola in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 240 people with the name Reola, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #34,133 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Reola in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Reola?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Reola leans strongly female. 240 people counted with this name were female (97.6%), compared with 6 male bearers (2.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Reola?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Reola is Black at 78.8%. The next largest groups are White (17.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Reola most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Reola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (189 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Reola in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Reola a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reola 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 Reola still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Reola 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 Reola 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.
How many people have Reola as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Reola on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.