Lolita is a diminutive of Lola, derived from Dolores. Dolores originates in Spanish language and means "full of sorrows". It is a very popular feminine given name in Spanish-speaking families since it refers to Virgin Mary of Sorrows, in Spanish La Virgen Maria de los Dolores. In English-speaking countries it has been in use since the end of the 19th century. Lolita was popularized by the novel of the same name, written by Vladimir Nabokov in 1955.