Zola (name)

Zola is both a surname and a given name. In Italy, Zola is a common last name. In South Africa, Zola is a Xhosa language name and means "be calm" or "be quiet." A common feminine variation for the name is Nokuzola. The name enjoys widespread popularity in South Africa and is also used in other African nations. Furthermore, Zola is a commonly used name in numerous countries across the globe, including the United States.This name was ranked #990 on the US Popular Names in 2021.

People
Notable people with the name include:

Surname

 * Arlette Zola, Swiss singer
 * Aurélien N'Zuzi Zola (born 1999), French rapper known as Zola (rapper)
 * Calvin Zola (born 1984), Congo DR footballer
 * Émile Zola (1840–1902), French novelist
 * Gianfranco Zola (born 1966), Italian football player and manager
 * Giuseppe Zola (1672 – 1743) Italian painter
 * Irving Zola (1935–1994), American activist and writer

Given name

 * Zola Budd (born 1966), South African athlete
 * Zola Cooper (1904–1954), American cancer researcher
 * Zola Davis (born 1975), American football player
 * Zola Levitt (1938–2006), American religious leader
 * Zola Matumona (born 1981), Congo DR footballer
 * Zola Taylor (1938–2007), American singer, member of The Platters

Stage name

 * Zola (rapper) {born 1999), or Aurélien N'Zuzi Zola, a French rapper
 * Zola 7 (born 1977), also known as Bonginkosi Dlamini or Zola, a South African musician
 * Zola Jesus (born 1989), stage name of Nika Roza Danilova, American singer

Fictional characters

 * Arnim Zola, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe
 * Leopold Zola, a fictional character in Marvel Comics, the son of Arnim Zola
 * Zola, a character in the Battle Arena Toshinden fighting game series; see List of Battle Arena Toshinden characters
 * Zola, a female mercenary and party member in the video game Blue Dragon
 * Zola, a villain in the Dick Tracy comic strip; see List of recurring characters in Dick Tracy
 * Zola Grey Shepherd, adopted daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the television series Grey's Anatomy
 * Aziah "Zola" King, a fictional character from the film Zola (film)