Lola began as a Spanish pet form of Dolores, which means "sorrows", from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, and is often read simply as "sorrows" or, in spirit, as a playful name in its own right. The dancer Lola Montez, the song Whatever Lola Wants from Damn Yankees and the Kinks' Lola gave it a saucy, theatrical reputation. Lola entered the US top 1000 in 2002, peaked at number 211 in 2010 and ranks number 275 among girls' names in 2025.