Enola

Enola is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, first recorded in the late 19th century. The name is often analyzed as alone spelled backward, but it has also been described as an English spelling of a Cherokee word meaning black fox. Enola gained prominence as the name of the Enola Gay, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. The plane was named by its pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets, after his mother, Enola Gay Haggard Tibbets.

Etymology and Origins

The earliest known use of Enola appears in popular novels of the mid-19th century. One origin story ties the name to a character in a novel that Enola Gay Haggard Tibbets' father was reading just before her birth in Iowa. According to another account, Tibbets' mother heard the name from a story about westward wagon trains and liked it. The name was also used as the title of the novel Enola; or, her Fatal Mistake (1886) by Mary Young Ridenbaugh, whose main character may have influenced later usage.

Notable Bearers

Enola Gay Haggard Tibbets (1898–1988) is the most famous bearer, for whom the Hiroshima bomber was named. The character of Enola Holmes, the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, was created by author Nancy Springer in a series of young adult novels beginning with The Case of the Missing Marquess (2006). The character was portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown in the 2020 Netflix film Enola Holmes.

Cultural Significance

The name Enola remains controversial due to its indelible link to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Despite this, it has seen sporadic usage as a given name in English-speaking countries. The Enola Gay aircraft is now preserved at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

• Meaning: Unknown; possibly derived from alone spelled backward or from Cherokee for 'black fox'
• Origin: English, possibly borrowing from Cherokee
• Type: Invented name
• Usage Regions: English-speaking countries