Given name & surname
Violet
“resembling the purplishblue flower”
Violet is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “resembling the purplishblue flower.”
Original FrenchViolette
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “resembling the purplishblue flower.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Violet through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 185,845
- 284 boys · 185,561 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 7,546 babies
- 2025
- 7,546
- #13 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +32%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7,546 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 13 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 31.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (883). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 72,518 as a first name in 2020; 743 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Violet’s family of names
In English usage, Violet has a diminutive in Vi. Violet shares a linguistic root with Violetta. In English usage, Violet has a conventional equivalent in the Finnish form Viola.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Violet has relatives in 20 languages. Lines run from its French roots to each of them.
Frenchwhere Violet comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 17
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Violet
- Violet JessopTitanic crew member (1887–1971)
- Violet BrownJamaican supercentenarian (1900–2017)
- Dion FortuneBritish occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer (1890-1946)
- Violet GibsonIrish aristocrat noted for shooting Mussolini (1876–1956)
- Violet McGrawAmerican actressborn 2011
- Vernon LeeEssayist, short-story writer, activist (1856-1935)
- Violet TrefusisEnglish socialite and author (1894–1972)
- Violet HuntBritish writer (1862-1942)
- Violet AlvaIndian politician (1908-1969)
Characters named Violet: Violet Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Violet Parr (main character of The Incredibles), Vi (playable character from the game League of Legends).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Violet, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lucy
“light”
>99% girls
Magnolia
“resembling the flowering tree”
>99% girls
Gianna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Sylvie
Sylvie is used as a given name and a surname. Sylvie is connected with Silvia.
>99% girls
Antonella
Antonella is a variant of Antonia. In Latin use, Antonia carries the interpretation “priceless and highly praiseworthy; a flourishing flower.”
>99% girls
Xiomara
“famous in battle” · “from the glorious forest”
>99% girls
Juliet
“one who is youthful; daughter of the sky”
>99% girls
Ornella
“of the flowering ash tree”
>99% girls