Enola

i-NO-luh

English literary name and place name, Cherokee

"alone; black fox"

Enola Origin and Meaning

The name Enola is a girl's name meaning "alone; black fox".

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.

Enola Rank in US Top 1000

# 956 in the US

Enola Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 1126 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Enola

• 1126 Nameberry 2025
• 683 England 2023

20 Names Similar to Enola

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Enola.

• Sinead
• Jessamy
• Céleste
• Lizette
• Alva
• Verna
• Freja
• Vida
• Dara
• Renata
• Solange
• Maris
• Galilea
• Ziva
• Rafaella
• Vivica
• Junia
• Yael
• Tamar
• Antonella

Famous People Named Enola

• Enola Gay Tibbets mother of the pilot of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
• Clara Enola Wire (b. 2002) daughter of musician Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers

The name Enola in Pop Culture

• Enola Sciotti a ghost in film "Crimson Peak"
• Enola Gay the Boeing B,29 Superfortress bomber that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan
• "Enola Gay " anti,war song by British synthpop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
• "Enola; or Her fatal mistake," novel by Mary Young Ridenbaugh; inspiration for Enola Gay
• The Enola Holmes Mysteries book series by Nancy Springer
• Enola Holmes titular character in Netflix film
• Enola girl in film "Waterworld"