Meaning and background
The story behind Bola
Bola has a specific object association in Merriam-Webster: a cord with weighted ends thrown to entangle an animal. That source does not establish a meaning for every personal name or word spelled Bola in other languages. If the dog's name comes from a family member, that history needs separate evidence. The recorded object sense remains one possible association rather than a universal etymology.
- Association
- Word for a cord with weighted ends used to entangle an animal. Source
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About Bola
Recorded as a dog’s name
Bola appears in 4 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/boʊlə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/boʊlə/ · primary stress on syllable 1B OW1 L AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.