Lola is a feminine
given name, a short form of the
Spanish name
Dolores, meaning "
sorrows", a name taken from a
title of the
Virgin Mary:
Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, or
Our Lady of Sorrows. Lola may also be used as a short form of the unrelated German name
Aloisia or the English name Lolicia. The name Lola is also common in Africa; in Nigeria, many feminine names are shortened to Lola, such as Temilola, Omolola or Damilola. Lola (
Tajik for
tulip) is also a feminine name in
Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, and
Afghanistan. It is derived from the Persian لاله or lâleh. The short form Lola has been rising in popularity in several countries in the past decade. It was the 270th most popular name for baby girls born in the United States in 2007, up from 279th place in 2006 and 375th place in 2005; was ranked as the 64th most popular name for baby girls in
Spain in 2006; was ranked as the 51st most popular name for baby girls in
England and
Wales in 2007; was the 17th most popular name for baby girls in
France in 2004; and was the 20th most popular name for baby girls in
Belgium in 2006.