Ola (given name)

Ola (علا) is an Arabic feminine given name that means "surmount", "high", and "arise". It is also a common shorthand name in Norway and Sweden (as a variant of Olaf), and in Polish it is a diminutive form of feminine given names Olga and Aleksandra.

Moreover, Ọlá in West African Yoruba language is a popular unisex name, and is a root morpheme for other popular Yorùbá given names and surnames like Olamide, Olayemi, Olayinka etc.

Men

 * Ola (born 1987), English comedian
 * Ola Adeyemo (born 1995), Nigerian footballer
 * Ola Afolabi (born 1980), British boxer, former cruiserweight champion
 * Ola Aina (born 1996), English footballer
 * Ola Backman (1928–2016), Swedish Navy rear admiral
 * Ola Englund (born 1981), Swedish guitarist for Feared, The Haunted and formerly of Six Feet Under (band)
 * Ola Gjeilo (born 1978), Norwegian composer and pianist
 * Ola Håkansson (born 1945), Swedish singer, composer and producer
 * Ola Hanson (1864–1927), Swedish-American missionary in Burma
 * Ola Isene (1898–1973), Norwegian singer and actor
 * Ola John (born 1992), Liberian-Dutch footballer
 * Ola Kamara (born 1989), Nigerian footballer in Major League Soccer
 * Ola Kimrin (born 1972), former National Football League placekicker
 * Ola L. Mize (1931–2014), United States Army officer awarded the Medal of Honor
 * Ola Möller (born 1983), Swedish politician
 * Ola Otnes (born 1951), Norwegian actor
 * Ola Rapace (born 1971), Swedish actor
 * Ola Rotimi (1938–2000), Nigerian playwright and theatre director
 * Ola Salo (born 1977), Swedish singer
 * Ola Svensson (born 1986), Swedish singer, better known by his mononym Ola
 * Ola Toivonen (born 1986), Swedish footballer
 * Ola Ullsten (1931–2018), Swedish politician and diplomat, former Prime Minister of Sweden
 * Ola Wong (born 1977), Swedish author, journalist and sinologist

Women

 * Ola Al-Fares (born 1985), Jordanian lawyer, journalist and television presenter
 * Ola Babcock Miller (1871–1937), American politician
 * Ola Ince, British theatre director
 * Ola Jordan (born 1982), Polish dancer
 * Ola Orekunrin, British-Nigerian medical doctor and managing director of the charity Flying Doctors Nigeria
 * Ola Ray (born 1960), American model and actress
 * Ola Belle Reed (1916-2002), American folk singer
 * Ola Uduku, British African architect

Folk figures

 * Ola Värmlänning, a drunken prankster in Swedish-American folklore