[name_f]Lola[/name_f] is my favorite. It’s happy, colorful and sweet.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Etta[/name_f] is charismatic and timeless.
I am also fond of [name_f]Lola[/name_f]! [name_f][/name_f] I met an adorable toddler named [name_f]Lola[/name_f] years ago, she had wispy blond hair and the sweetest smile, and I’ve loved [name_f]Lola[/name_f] ever since. [name_f][/name_f] [name_f]Lola[/name_f] is a bit polarizing, but she’s such a great name! [name_f][/name_f] I would love to have a [name_f]Lola[/name_f] one day.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Etta[/name_f] isn’t really my favorite, it’s a bit too vintage for my own style, but it is a nice name. [name_f][/name_f] I like something like [name_f]Violetta[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], or [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] myself… though even with [name_f]Violetta[/name_f] I would use [name_f]Lola[/name_f] or [name_f]Vivi[/name_f] or Lettie/Lottie as a nn and [name_f]Coco[/name_f] or [name_f]Cosy[/name_f] for [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] over [name_f]Etta[/name_f]. [name_f][/name_f] It’s a great name, just not for me. [name_f][/name_f] 
Much prefer [name_f]Etta[/name_f] and get zero harshness.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Etta[/name_f] feels more polished but [name_f]Lola[/name_f] is also nice
I agree with others that both names are lovely. They also sound quite literary/artistic (maybe I’m thinking of the book Lolita? But I don’t think most people would make that association – I studied literature at university). My sister’s niece is Lola, and she is a spunky and spirited girl from Madrid, Spain. To me, it’s cute, fun, and artsy, and I love the dramatic long O sound.
Etta is actually a nickname my husband and I are considering for our upcoming baby girl Odette, so I may be biased 
Etta, to me, is soft-sounding and (perhaps more subtly) continental European, like a form of Greta. Both names strike me as literary.
I agree with the others that if Lola really speaks to you, go for it! I’m sorry it’s been received negatively. It’s not at all unusual and seems like generally a safe and perfectly respectable choice in today’s diverse and oft adventurous baby-naming world.
I prefer [name_f]Etta[/name_f] over [name_f]Lola[/name_f]. [name_f]Lola[/name_f] is a pet name to me.
I love the theory of Etta, but I can’t help hearing “ate her” 
also eta is often used in Russian, which I grew up listening to. My love for Lola waxes and wanes (I’m currently off quite strongly due to Lolita and the current climate), but I tend always to come back to her. So: Lola 