Meaning & Origin
A taxonomic genus within the family Violaceae – violets.
Viola is a girl's and boy's baby name of Latin origin, from the Latin word for 'violet' — both the flower and the color purple, long associated with royalty, creativity, and romance. Shakespeare used it for the resourceful heroine of Twelfth Night, giving the name a 400-year literary pedigree.
Viola ranked in the U.S. top 100 from the 1880s through the 1920s and is firmly back in the conversation today, helped by actress Viola Davis's multiple Emmy and Oscar wins. Elegant, distinctive, and culturally rich.