Enola

Enola has a lot of potential as a name: it includes the stylish 'nola' sound; it follows a similar letter pattern to the likes of Elora, Elara, and Elodie; it has a hint of Nevaeh about it, given that it is "alone" spelled backwards; it's familiar but not popular. For many decades, however, it was known only in relation to the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the Enola Gay, and has been understandably avoided.

While the exact meaning of the name is uncertain, Enola first appeared in the 19th century and was used in several popular novels during the period, most notably in Enola; or, her Fatal Mistake by Mary Young Ridenbaugh in 1886, and in Enola; or The Rescue, a sequel to The Prairie Rangers by William H. Chaney in the 1860s. The aforementioned plane, the Enola Gay, was named for the pilot's mother, who was supposedly named after a character in a book her father was reading.

It is possible that the name was created by reversing the word alone, though it might also have been influenced by names such as Elnora and Enora. Alternatively, it has been suggested that it is an English spelling of the Cherokee name Inole or Inola, meaning "black fox".

Enola reappeared in the French charts back in the 90s, while more recently, in 2021, it made its debut in the England and Wales Top 1000. This could be owing to author Nancy Springer's use of the name in her Conan Doyle inspired novels, now turned Netflix movie, Enola Holmes. She chose the name for this (non-canonical) younger sister of the detective due to its relation to the word alone.

In the US too, the Enola Holmes movie increased use of the name fivefold in 2021, and in a recent year, it was given to 70 girls.

Pronounced EN-oh-luh.

As of October 2026, Enola ranked #3483 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #617 in 1893.