Sola
Of Yoruba origin, meaning "the richest one" or "wealth owner".
Name Census estimates that about 247 living Americans carry the first name Sola. It is a predominantly female name (98.0% of registrations). The average person named Sola today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sola births was 2022 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sola. 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.
People living today
247
~ 1 in 1,387,669 Americans
Peak year
2022
24 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2006 SSA rank
#5,917
Tracked since 1924
Gender
Gender distribution for Sola
Sola leans heavily female at 98.0% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Sola as a male name
- Ranked #13,733 in 2006
- 5 male births in 2006
- Peak: 2006 (5 births)
Sola as a female name
- Ranked #5,917 in 2024
- 21 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (24 births)
Popularity
Sola: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sola from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 101 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
Sola 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 Sola during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Solas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sola
The name Sola has its origins in various cultures and languages, each with a unique meaning and historical significance.
Firstly, in Latin, the word "sola" means "alone" or "solitary." This usage can be traced back to ancient Roman times, where it was a common term. However, there is no evidence of it being used as a proper name during that era.
In Sanskrit, the word "sola" means "a kind of rice." It's possible that the name Sola was derived from this word, particularly in regions where rice cultivation was prevalent, such as parts of India and Southeast Asia.
In some Scandinavian languages, the name Sola is believed to have originated from the Old Norse word "sól," which means "sun." This connection to the celestial body implies a sense of warmth, radiance, and brightness associated with the name.
The earliest recorded use of Sola as a given name can be found in medieval Europe. One notable figure was Sola de Burgos, a Spanish noblewoman and patron of the arts, who lived in the 15th century (c. 1450-1520).
Another historical figure with the name Sola was Sola Nabarria, a Basque writer and poet from the 16th century (c. 1530-1597), known for her contributions to Basque literature.
In the 17th century, Sola Shitadeva (1623-1688) was a renowned Indian musician and composer from the Drupad tradition, recognized for his significant contributions to Hindustani classical music.
Moving to the 18th century, Sola Pinto (1720-1787) was a Portuguese philosopher and mathematician who made notable contributions to the field of calculus and differential equations.
In more recent times, Sola Schoenfeld (1888-1977) was a Polish-American actress and writer who achieved success on the stage and in films during the early 20th century.
While the name Sola is not as common as some other names, it has persisted across various cultures and time periods, carrying different meanings and associations depending on its linguistic origins and historical context.
People
Sola + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sola as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sola: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sola?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 247 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sola 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 1,387,669 US residents.
Is Sola a common name?
We classify Sola as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 255 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sola most popular?
The single biggest year for Sola was 2022, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sola is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sola a female name?
Yes, 98.0% of people registered as Sola 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.