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Iola Name Meaning, Origins & History

Iola

Pronunciation: eye-OH-luh

Meaning Worthy goddess Origin Greek Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#12,412
TREND
951
Peak Years
1918, 1920, 1916
Lowest Years
1968, 1969, 1971
Energy Archetype
Compassionate & Creative

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Iola in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Iola

  • More than 9 thousand babies named Iola: U.S. records list 9,659 babies given the name Iola from 1880 through 2025.

What Does the Name Iola Mean?

Iola is a feminine given name of Greek origin meaning "violet." It is usually treated as a variant of the Greek name Iole (Ἰόλη), a figure in Greek mythology. The meaning is commonly linked to the Greek word ἴον (ion), "violet," so the name is understood as a form drawn from that word. Because the older name Iole does not have a securely established Greek etymology, the violet meaning is best described as the customary interpretation rather than a proved one.

Iola Name History & Origins

The name goes back to Iole, a figure in Greek myth. Iole was the daughter of Eurytus, king of Oechalia. Heracles sought her as a wife, and the struggle over her, together with the jealousy of his wife Deianira, brought about his death. The story is dramatized in Sophocles' Trachiniae, also called Women of Trachis.

The spelling Iola appears as a variant of Iole, and it is in that form that the name passed into later European and English usage. In the English-speaking world the name was in use by the 19th century; it belongs to the title character in Frances E. W. Harper's novel Iola Leroy; or, Shadows Uplifted (1892). A later literary namesake is Iola Morton, a character in the Hardy Boys series.

The name was also given to several American towns, among them Iola, Kansas, and Iola, Wisconsin.

How Popular is the Name Iola?

Iola recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1918. Its best rank was #265 in 1907.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Iola Shapes Your Personality and Life?

Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.

You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.

✦ Iola's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Iola's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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