The Leola Club - Founded by Leola A. Alfonso-Reese on 14 November 1997.

Introduction

In my life I have met two women named Leola. The first time was in a ladies' room in some midwestern city. Someone said "Leola" and I wondered who could be calling me in a town I was merely passing through. I turned to find a woman approximately in her 60's answer to the name. It seems that "Leola" was more popular a generation or two ago than it is today.

My name is made up. Just months before I was born, my two uncles Lio (pronounced Leo) and Tony died in a car accident; they were hit by a drunk driver. My mother decided to name me after them, so I was called Leola Antonette Naomi Alfonso. Oddly enough, the second woman I met named Leola was also named after her uncle Leo. Her mother also made up the female version, Leola.

Since the name "Leola" is so rare and I enjoy meeting others with that name, I decided to create The Leola Club. There are only two requirements for becoming a member. Please see details below.

Trivia

There are at least four cities in the United States called Leola. They are Leola, Arkansas; Leola, Pennsylvania; Leola, South Dakota; and Leola, Wisconsin. I visited Leola, Pennsylvania (in the heart of Amish territory), and collected lots of paraphernalia with my name on it... a rare opportunity! I look forward to visiting my other cities someday.

A TLC member told me about a Leola waltz, composed by C. W. Krogmann (Op. 15, No. 5). One verse contains the following text, "Child of Italia's land, gifted in form and face, join in the merry dance with the accustomed grace."

Click here to listen to a musical piece called "Leola" by Scott Joplin (1905).

Mispronunciations

The name "Leola" is often misspelled and mispronounced. Here are some common (and not so common) substitutes for the name:

Crayola
Layola
Leelo
Leeloa
Leelola
Leolo
Leoloa
Leona
Leora
Leota
Lola
Lolea
Loyola
Ola
Reora
Viola (with a long i sound, or a long e sound)

Join The Leola Club!

To become a Member of TLC, you must meet two requirements.
  1. Your name must be Leola.
  2. You must introduce yourself by sending a letter to me via electronic mail:

    Email:
    lreese@sciences.sdsu.edu

Upon receipt of your letter, I will add your name to the membership list below (and a link to your web page if you have one).

To those who want to join the club but are unable to meet the above requirements, you may be eligible for affiliate membership. Affiliate Members must meet three requirements.
  1. You must be related to someone named Leola.
  2. You must introduce yourself by sending a letter to me via US mail or electronic mail.
  3. You must write something positive about your Leola relative.

Members

Name

Leola Alfonso-Reese
Leola Gulino
Leola Ann Bishop
Leola Janice Young
Leola Hannah Pfaffling
Leola Roberts Miller
Leola Cunningham Hamilton
Janine Leola
Leola Faye Carrington
Leola Reed
Leola Gajeski
Leola Ann Moss
Leola Louise Long
Leola Louise Van Sickle
Leola Witt-McNie
Leola Chaunte' Marsh
Leola Wyrick Yates
Léola Roy
Leola Klein
Leola Sharpe
Leola Bernadette Sarah Mc Hugh
Leola Wyrick Merillat
Leola G. Toole
Leola Jean Saunders
Leola Mae Canada
Nancy Leola MacKenzie
Leola Walker
Leola Bermanzohn
Leola Seymour
Leola Thurman
Leola Ortiz
Leola Scott
Leola Reis
Leola Emily Nichols
Leola Hulet
Leola Mae C. Valmorida
Leola Crawford
Leola Johnson
Leola Luise Amador-Locher
Leola Virginia Snowden
Leola Staley
Leola Silva
Léola Le Blanc
Leola Marie Hardy
Leola Osborne
Leola Ann Sharpe
Leola Ann Henson
Leola Cases
Leola E. Young
Leola Kindt
Leola Francita Goffin
Leola (last name NA)
Leola Young
Leola Michelle Johnson
Leola Abraham
Leola Julia VandeVelde Coniglio
Naomi Leola Alfonso Reese
Leola Foon
Leola Christine Briley
Leola Watkins Davis
Eleonora (Leola) Maria Brouwer
Leola Michaud
Leola Banks
Leola Merle Curd
Leola Ritchie
Leola Tejares Tuma-ob
Leola Gaul
Leola Rose Puanani Lanphier
Leola Campbell
Leola Laverne Dinning
Leola Marie Bogdan
Leola Victoria Johnson
Leola Laufey Campbell
Jane Leola Banks-Rutt
Leola-Maree Helen Smith
Leola Reed Banghart
Leola Edith Pell
Leola Gordon
Leola Russell
Leola J. Rice

Member since

1997 Nov 14
1998 Jun 3
1999 May 18
2000 May 2
2000 Nov 23
2000 Nov 25
2001 Jan 19
2001 Jan 25
2001 Feb 24
2001 Mar 25
2001 May 8
2001 May 8
2001 Oct 18
2001 Nov 5
2001 Dec 29
2002 Mar 30
2002 Apr 6
2002 Apr 7
2002 May 7
2002 May 13
2002 Jun 10
2002 Jul 7
2002 Jul 16
2002 Oct 2
2002 Oct 8
2003 Feb 10
2003 Feb 21
2003 Mar 15
2003 Mar 25
2003 Apr 27
2003 Apr 28
2003 Jun 24
2003 Jun 27
2003 July 8
2003 Oct 20
2003 Oct 31
2003 Nov 25
2003 Dec 12
2004 Feb 2
2004 Mar 12
2004 Sep 8
2004 Dec 29
2005 Jan 11
2005 Jan 12
2005 Mar 29
2005 Apr 5
2005 May 24
2005 May 24
2005 Jul 25
2005 Jul 27
2005 Aug 22
2005 Sep 21
2005 Sep 25
2005 Nov 29
2005 Dec 1
2006 Feb 25
2006 Apr 29
2006 May 2
2006 May 2
2006 Jun 1
2006 Aug 27
2006 Dec 20
2007 Feb 11
2007 Feb 20
2007 Feb 27
2007 Mar 6
2007 Sep 3
2007 Sep 29
2007 Dec 3
2008 Mar 18
2008 Apr 26
2008 Jun 18
2008 Jul 7
2008 Aug 2
2008 Aug 15
2008 Aug 18
2008 Aug 23
2008 Aug 24
2008 Nov 2
2008 Dec 10

Affiliate Members

Name

Michael S. Reese
Robert Stroud
Ted Meyer
Antje Pfaffling
Andreas Pfaffling
Charles W. Lamb
Michael S. A. Reese
Anissa Michelle Saunders Gahagan
Ronda Satterlee
Stephanie Nichols
Catherine Amador-Locher
Kimberly D. Hall
Nicolás S. A. Reese
Peggy L. Ranke
James M. Ranke

Member since

1998 Jun 4
2000 May 17
2000 Nov 12
2000 Nov 23
2000 Nov 23
2001 Sep 6
2002 Aug 11
2002 Sep 16
2003 Feb 18
2003 Jul 10
2004 Feb 2
2005 May 24
2007 May 29
2008 Aug 15
2008 Aug 15

TLC Member Statistics (as of May 2008)

  1. Where Leolas live

    Australia (5)
    Canada (13)
    England (2)
    Germany (1)
    Ireland (1)
    Netherlands (1)
    New Zealand (5)
    Philippines (2)
    South Africa (1)
    United States (37)

  2. Who Leola was named after

    Mother (5)
    Father (5)
    Aunt (5)
    Uncle (2)
    Grandmother (18)
    Great grandmother (3)
    Great aunt (3)
    Father's sister-in-law (1)
    Mom's friend (3)
    Dad's friend (1)
    Mom's schoolmate (1)
    Cousin's best friend (1)
    Cousin (2)
    Character in a book (1)
    Mom's boss' daughter (1)

  3. Age at time of joining TLC

    Less than 1 year (4)
    One to nine years (2)
    Ten to nineteen years (5)
    Twenty+ (10)
    Thirty+ (11)
    Forty+ (5)
    Fifty+ (9)
    Sixty+ (3)
    Seventy+ (1)
    Eighty+ (2)
    Ninety+ (1)

  4. Age in 2008

    Less than 1 year (0)
    One to nine years (6)
    Ten to nineteen years (1)
    Twenty+ (10)
    Thirty+ (12)
    Forty+ (7)
    Fifty+ (8)
    Sixty+ (4)
    Seventy+ (2)
    Eighty+ (2)
    Ninety+ (1)

  5. What members have heard about the origins of Leola

    From a book in New Zealand, Leola means Swift as a deer
    From a baby name book, Leola is a Greek name, a form of Leona which means Lion
    From a name book, Leola means Women of the people
    Leola is a Cherokee name
    Leola is a Latin name meaning lion
    From a Baby Name book, Leola is the English version of the Italian name Cecilia
    Our name is Latin and/or Italian most likely from Leonardo and then moved on through Europe and the world.
    Leola has Italian origins.
    Leola is a common Hawaiian name.

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