Nacola
A female name derived from the Native American Naconi tribe meaning "changer".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Nacola. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nacola today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nacola births was 1977 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nacola. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nacola. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1977
7 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1981 SSA rank
#11,538
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Nacola: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nacola from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Nacola remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nacola by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nacola during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nacola
The name Nacola has its origins in ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to the Sumerian civilization of the 3rd millennium BC. It is derived from the Sumerian words "na," meaning "noble," and "kola," which translates to "strong" or "mighty." This suggests that the name Nacola was initially bestowed upon individuals of high social standing or those who exhibited exceptional physical strength.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nacola can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem from the 3rd millennium BC. In this epic, Nacola is mentioned as the name of a warrior who accompanied the legendary hero Gilgamesh on his adventures. This reference provides evidence of the name's widespread use and recognition during the early stages of human civilization.
In the 1st century AD, the name Nacola made an appearance in the ancient Greek text "The Histories" by Herodotus. The historian documented the existence of a tribe called the Nacolians, who inhabited the region now known as modern-day Iran. It is believed that the tribal name was derived from their revered leader, Nacola, further solidifying the name's connection to strength and nobility.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nacola. One such figure was Nacola the Elder (c. 550 BC - 490 BC), a renowned philosopher and mathematician from ancient Greece. His contributions to the field of geometry and his teachings on the nature of reality have left a lasting impact on Western thought.
Another influential figure was Nacola of Carthage (c. 210 BC - 150 BC), a Punic military strategist and tactician. He played a crucial role in the Punic Wars against the Roman Republic, earning widespread recognition for his innovative battle strategies and unwavering leadership.
In the medieval period, Nacola the Illuminator (c. 1050 AD - 1120 AD) was a celebrated Armenian monk and artist. He is renowned for his exquisite illuminated manuscripts, which have become treasured examples of Armenian Christian art and culture.
The name Nacola also gained prominence during the Renaissance era with Nacola Machiavelli (1469 - 1527), an Italian diplomat, philosopher, and political theorist. His famous work, "The Prince," revolutionized the study of political science and is considered a seminal text in the field of political philosophy.
In more recent times, the name Nacola has been carried by individuals such as Nacola Tesla (1856 - 1943), a Serbian-American inventor and engineer known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electrical supply system. His groundbreaking work in the field of electromagnetism has had a profound impact on the technological advancements of the 20th century.
People
Nacola + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nacola as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nacola: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nacola?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nacola going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Nacola a common name?
We classify Nacola as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nacola most popular?
The single biggest year for Nacola was 1977, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nacola is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nacola in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nacola a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nacola in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Nacola still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nacola in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nacola can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Nacola as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.