Roula
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "little gazelle" or "deer".
Name Census estimates that about 46 living Americans carry the first name Roula. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Roula today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roula births was 1968 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roula. 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 Roula. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
46
~ 1 in 7,451,181 Americans
Peak year
1968
7 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1987 SSA rank
#12,784
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Roula: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Roula from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 28 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Roula 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 Roula 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 Roula
The name Roula is of Arabic origin, derived from the feminine form of the Arabic word "raul," which means "little gazelle" or "little deer." This name has been in use since ancient times in the Arab world, particularly in countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.
In the early Islamic era, the name Roula was commonly given to girls born into noble or wealthy families, as it was associated with grace, beauty, and gentleness. The name gained popularity across the Middle East and was often mentioned in Arabic literature and poetry, where it was used as a metaphor for a beautiful and graceful woman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roula can be found in the 9th century, when a renowned Arab philosopher and poet named Roula bint al-Mustakaff lived during the Abbasid Caliphate. She was known for her intellectual prowess and her contributions to the fields of philosophy and literature.
Another notable figure with the name Roula was Roula al-Husseini, a prominent Palestinian activist and leader of the Palestinian women's movement in the early 20th century. Born in 1899, she played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and education in Palestine.
In the world of arts and culture, Roula Saadeh was a renowned Lebanese singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s. She was celebrated for her powerful voice and her ability to captivate audiences with her performances.
Roula Khalaf, born in 1962, is a British journalist and editor who has held prominent positions at various publications, including the Financial Times, where she currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief, becoming the first woman to hold this position in the newspaper's history.
Roula Safar, born in 1949, is a Syrian-born French actress and filmmaker. She gained recognition for her roles in several French films and has directed several critically acclaimed movies, including "The Milky Way" and "The Eighth Day."
Throughout history, the name Roula has been associated with elegance, beauty, and cultural significance in the Arab world, and it continues to be a popular choice for parents seeking a name with rich historical and cultural roots.
People
Roula + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roula 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
Roula: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roula?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 46 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roula 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 7,451,181 US residents.
Is Roula a common name?
We classify Roula as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 51 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Roula most popular?
The single biggest year for Roula was 1968, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roula is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Roula a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roula 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.