Girl name · Latin
Viola
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: violet flowerViola is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "violet flower". It is used in English and Italian.
- Meaning
- Violet flower
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1015 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Viola
As a girl's name, Viola comes from Latin and means "violet flower". It is used in English and Italian.
In Italian, say vee-OH-lah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Viola on our names that mean flower list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Viola on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Viola on 4 lists.
“Violet flower in Latin; Shakespeare's heroine in Twelfth Night”
From Flower names for girls, girl flower names from the garden
“Violet flower; Latin. Say vee-OH-lah”
From Italian girl names, popular Italian girls' names right now
“Violet flower; Latin, Shakespeare's heroine in Twelfth Night”
From Unique girl names, uncommon Latin girl names
“Violet flower; Latin. The heroine of Twelfth Night”
From Vintage girl names, vintage flower, plant and gemstone names
How popular is Viola?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,015
- 247 babies, 154 per million girls
- Best rank
- #42 in 1908
- Most babies: 4,331 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 132,993
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,899 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4,225 per million |
| 1900s | 5,656 per million |
| 1910s | 4,055 per million |
| 1920s | 2,782 per million |
| 1930s | 1,337 per million |
| 1940s | 571 per million |
| 1950s | 280 per million |
| 1960s | 150 per million |
| 1970s | 68 per million |
| 1980s | 44 per million |
| 1990s | 27 per million |
| 2000s | 40 per million |
| 2010s | 107 per million |
| 2020s | 139 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,139 | #1,164 | #1,144 | #1,078 | #1,119 | #1,168 | #1,031 | #1,069 | #1,186 | #1,015 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Viola
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- VioletViolet flower (Latin, girl)
- VioletaViolet (Latin, girl)
- ViolettaViolet flower (Latin, girl)
Names spelled like Viola
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- VidaLife (Ladino, girl)
- VidyaKnowledge, learning (Sanskrit, girl)
- VikaShort form of Viktoria, victory (Latin, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- RosaRose flower (Latin, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- NarcisoNarcissus flower (Greek, boy)
- AntheaFlower, blossom (Greek, girl)
- FleurA flower (Latin, girl)
- FlorFlower (Latin, girl)
- HanaFlower in Japanese; one in Korean (Japanese and Korean, girl)
- IantheViolet flower (Greek, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
Middle names for Viola
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- DianaDivine, heavenly (Latin, girl)
Viola: common questions
What does the name Viola mean?
Viola comes from Latin and means "violet flower".
Is Viola a boy or girl name?
Viola is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Viola come from?
Viola comes from Latin and means "violet flower". Today it is used in English and Italian.
How popular is the name Viola?
Viola ranked #1,015 in the US in 2025, with 247 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Viola?
Forms of Viola with the same meaning and origin include Violet (English), Violeta (Spanish) and Violetta (Italian).
What middle names go with Viola?
Middle names that flow well with Viola include Agnes, Belle, Constance, Elizabeth and Esmeralda. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.