Lola

Lola is rouge and a raised eyebrow. A Spanish pet form of Dolores — from the Marian title Maria de los Dolores, "Mary of the Sorrows" — the name shed its devotional origin to become one of the great cabaret names of the twentieth century. Lola Montez, the Irish-born dancer who conquered Bavarian politics in the 1840s; the showgirl of Damn Yankees; the Kinks' 1970 hit. Two syllables of pure rhythm. After decades in dormancy, Lola has climbed back to 273 in the US, part of the long-O girl-name resurgence. Old Hollywood on the tongue, never quite innocent, always fully alive.