Roula as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Roula

What is the meaning of the name Roula ?

The baby name Roula is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ROO-lah (IPA: /ˈruːlə/).

Roula is Arabic, Greek in Origin.

Roula (Greek: Ρούλα) is a Greek feminine name most often a clipped hypocoristic of Stavroula - the female counterpart of Stavros, from Greek stauros “cross.” By extension it can also shorten Charoula/Haroula (from chara “joy”) and other -roula forms, with the -oula ending marking affection or smallness in Greek. While rooted in these longer names, Roula now also appears independently in modern registries.

Use expanded in Greece and Cyprus in the mid-late 20th century, aided by popular culture; bearers typically celebrate the Stavroula name day on 14 September. Variants and spellings include Roulla (especially Cypriot), Rula, and Rola; related forms are Stavroula and Charoula/Haroula. In the Levant, Roula also serves as a Latinized spelling of the Arabic names Rula/Rola (رُلى/رولا), widely used since the 1970s, whose precise etymology is debated, making Roula a cross-cultural choice with either “cross” or “joy” associations in Greek contexts.