Gayola
Gayola was a type of bribe used by American police departments against gay bars in the post-war era. Liquor laws prevented bars from knowingly selling alcoholic beverages to gay patrons, so police departments commonly demanded payoffs from gay bar owners as a way to prevent shutdowns and raids.
Meaning & Origin of Gayola
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gayola was a type of bribe used by American police departments against gay bars in the post-war era. Liquor laws prevented bars from knowingly selling alcoholic beverages to gay patrons, so police departments commonly demanded payoffs from gay bar owners as a way to prevent shutdowns and raids.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Gayola
The earliest SSA record of Gayola as a baby girl name dates back to 1917, when 5 babies received it. 1917 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Gayola — #4,594 in the national rankings. Gayola last appeared in the published SSA data in 1917, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 5 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Gayola
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gayola is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gayola
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About the name Gayola
Gayola is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Gayola's peak popularity came in 1917 when it ranked #4,594. Use the chart and map above to compare Gayola's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1917 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.