Lola: Baby Name of the Day

The baby name Lola blends deep, meaningful roots with a sparky, high-energy sound.

Thanks to Allison for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME LOLA MEAN?

The baby name Lola sounds joyful and bright. Even a little scandalous – but we’ll come back to that in a minute.

But it comes from the deeply spiritual Spanish name Dolores, meaning sorrows.

Specifically, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores or María de los Dolores is a title for Mary. It translates as Mary of Sorrows. It’s a popular devotion among the Catholic faithful, and a familiar topic for artists.

Dolores enjoyed quite a bit of popularity in the US, nevermind that somber meaning. The name peaked just outside the US Top Ten around 1930, and ranked in the Top 100 from the 1920s into the 1940s. 

Lola started out as a nickname for Dolores, and the nickname also ranked in the popularity charts during the same era.

Before we leave Dolores behind, it’s worth noting that the name doesn’t exactly mean sadness. It suggests that Mary has suffered, and thus can console us when suffer. Still, it’s not a joyful meaning.

LOLA MONTEZ

The first famous Lola was Irish by birth, spending her early years in India, where her father and then stepfather were stationed. By 1837, Eliza Gilbert had reinvented herself as a “Spanish dancer” with her new stage name: Lola Montez. 

In 1846, she became the mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

The king made her a countess, and showered her with gifts. But the foreigner proved unpopular, and Ludwig set her aside.

She’d later tour the United States and Australia, finding success in both places, though her life was tumultuous. She died at the age of 39. Her gravestone reads “Mrs. Eliza Gilbert.”

HOLLYWOOD AND BROADWAY

Something about the name stuck, though.

Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich’s big break was in the year 1930. She played a cabaret singer called Lola in German film The Blue Angel. The movie that led to her contract with Paramount Pictures.

A 1954 novel inspired 1955 Broadway musical Damn Yankees.

Here’s the story:

The devil makes a deal with an ordinary Joe. Joe is transformed into a baseball player able to lead his team to victory against the New York Yankees – hence the title. But it means that Joe has to leave behind his beloved wife.

Joe wavers, and considers exercising the deal’s out clause, so the devil sends in his best home wrecker, who sings her warning: “Whatever Lola Wants.”

Spoiler alert: love triumphs in the end.

It’s been revived over the years.

But that’s probably not the first song that comes to mind.

LOLA IN PRINT AND ON THE RADIO

First, a necessary and uncomfortable detour. 

Vladimir Nabokov’s scandalous 1955 novel Lolita is the story of a man in love with a girl, and the ensuing tragedies. The child in the book is named Dolores. A movie adaptation followed in 1962, and, unbelievably, peak popularity for the name Lolita is 1963.

But Lolita isn’t Lola any more than Anita is Anna. They’re different names. 

Instead, parents probably find themselves singing about to English rock band The Kinks’ 1970 hit by the name, with the famous refrain “L-O-L-A, Lola.” 

If the Nabokov novel seems more shocking now, the song certainly seems less. 

During the 1950s and 60s, Lola Albright was a television actress, best known for her role on detective series Peter Gunn.

In 1975, actress and singer Lola Falana was nominated for a Tony Award for her turn on Broadway in Doctor Jazz. Her character’s name? The far more humble Edna Mae.

Still, there’s another scandalous Lola in pop culture history. Barry Manilow gave the name to a showgirl in his 1978 single, “Copacabana.” 

By 1981, the baby name Lola was out of the US Top 1000 entirely.

MORE POP CULTURE LOLAS

And yet, Lola remained a fixture in the collective imagination.

The name’s reputation started to shift.

• In 1996, this name was given to the animated bunny-love interest of Bugs in big screen animated Looney Tunes feature Space Jam.
• Also in 1996, wildly famous singer Madonna – near the height of her fame – named her firstborn Lourdes, nickname Lola.
• Then came 1998’s Run Lola Run. The German thriller starring Franka Potente as a woman out to save her boyfriend. It was a hit internationally, and may be the reason parents started to reconsider the name. 
• In 2000, Lauren Child created the very popular fictional siblings Charlie and Lola. The duo graduated from children’s books to an animated television series a few years later.
• By March of 2006, Disney launched Hannah Montana, featuring Miley Cyrus as a teenager leading a double life as a pop star. When her bestie Lilly finds out the truth, she adopts a secret identity, too: Lola Luftnagle.

Along the way, celebrities including Annie Lennox (1990), Kelly Ripa (2001), Chris Rock (2002), Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards (2005), Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet (2007) have given the name to daughters.

More recently, London-born actress Lola Kirke has starred in Mozart in the Jungle as well as other television series and movies. Which tracks, because Lola caught on in the UK first.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME LOLA?

Lola was rising in use in England and Wales during the 1990s. Double names, like Lola Mae and Lola Rose, even amde their popularity charts.

To be clear, this isn’t a new discovery. Lola ranked in the US Top 1000 every year from 1880 through most of the 1970s. It was a Top 200 staple into the 1930s.

While once Dolores was the more stylish choice, the popularity of the name Lola has far surpassed the original. 

After more than two decades out of the US Top 1000, the baby name Lola returned in 2002. It peaked at #213 in 2013, but remains relatively popular, at #263 as of 2023.

It’s also popular in Spain, as well as other European countries.

While Dolores is out of favor, other formal names might work, including Louise/Louisa and Eloise/Eloisa. If, that is, you prefer something longer than Lola for your daughter’s birth certificate.

HIGH-ENERGY FAVORITE

Somewhere along the way, Lola has transformed. It’s gone from a vintage name with a hint of scandal to a sunshiny, upbeat, and increasingly mainstream choice. Lola benefits from the L-L of Lily, Lyla, Delilah, and Layla, too.

If you’re looking for something that mixes vintage charm with a breezy, energetic vibe, Lola might be the perfect name. It’s casual and complete, a name that suggests vibrant creativity but also a little bit of tradition.

Overall, Lola is a twenty-first century staple that straddles the not-too-common/not-too-different line nicely.

Would you consider the baby name Lola for a daughter? 

First published on January 19, 2016, this post was revised and updated on January 29, 2025.