What is Ola short for?
Ola is short for Olaf and Aleksandra, and it is a name of its own in the Arabic and Yoruba traditions. In 2025, 13 girls in the United States were given Ola as their full name, with nothing longer behind it, according to Social Security records.
The meeting point
Four origins, four language families, one name.
Ola · Arabic علا, "high, elevated": journalist Ola Al-Fares (source)
Ọla · Yoruba ọlá, "wealth, honor": playwright Ola Rotimi (source)
Olaf · a Norwegian short form of Olaf: composer Ola Gjeilo (source)
Aleksandra · the standard Polish pet form of Aleksandra: dancer Ola Jordan (source)