girl's name
Violet
VY-uh-lit
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 211,666
the United States
#13
2025 births
Violet is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "purple," taken from viola, the Latin word for the purple flower. It has been used as an English given name since the Middle Ages, and echoes the same Latin root found in the color word violet and the related flower name Iris.
- Violet is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 7,546 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 439 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Violet over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 879 |
| 1890s | 3,076 |
| 1900s | 7,849 |
| 1910s | 23,203 |
| 1920s | 30,121 |
| 1930s | 13,927 |
| 1940s | 6,576 |
| 1950s | 4,153 |
| 1960s | 2,256 |
| 1970s | 1,243 |
| 1980s | 1,393 |
| 1990s | 1,699 |
| 2000s | 9,811 |
| 2010s | 41,612 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 38,047 |
What Violet means
Violet means "purple," directly named for the small purple flower and, by extension, the color itself. Unlike many names built from abstract virtues, Violet is a direct nature name — it refers to the plant with no added symbolic layer beyond its color and delicate appearance.
Where Violet comes from
Violet comes from the Latin viola, the word for both the purple flower and the color derived from it. The word passed into Old French as violette before entering Middle English. As a given name, Violet appears in England from at least the thirteenth century, making it one of the older flower names in continuous use, predating the wave of botanical names — Lily, Rose, Daisy — that became fashionable centuries later. In classical mythology, violets were associated with mourning and modesty, a symbolic pairing that carried into later use of the name in English literature.
How popular is Violet?
In 2025, Violet was given to 7,546 babies in the United States, ranking #13 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Violet is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Violet
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Violet also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Violet over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Violet
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Violet in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Violet
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Violet — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Violet
What does the name Violet mean?
Violet means "purple," from the Latin viola, the word for the purple flower.
Is Violet an old-fashioned name?
Violet has been recorded in England since at least the thirteenth century, making it one of the older flower names still in use.
What are nicknames for Violet?
Vi and Vio are the most common short forms of Violet.
How popular is the name Violet?
In 2025, Violet was given to 7,546 babies in the United States, ranking #13 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Violet a girl's or a boy's name?
Violet is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Violet?
Violet has 3 syllables.
When was Violet most popular?
Violet peaked in 2025, when 7,546 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Violet a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Violet currently ranks #13 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.