A 1900s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Viola since 1880
Babies named Viola per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Viola's real moment was 1908.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,806 |
| 1890s | 9,386 |
| 1900s | 16,559 |
| 1910s | 33,076 |
| 1920s | 33,251 |
| 1930s | 14,256 |
| 1940s | 8,269 |
| 1950s | 5,386 |
| 1960s | 2,732 |
| 1970s | 1,058 |
| 1980s | 764 |
| 1990s | 488 |
| 2000s | 734 |
| 2010s | 1,871 |
| 2020s | 1,357 |
Meaning & origin
Viola reached its highest U.S. rank in 1908 at peak year, placing among the top 150 names at the time. After decades of decline, the name has been rising again since 1995, reentering the top 1,000 in recent years. In 2025, Viola ranks 1013th, given to 1 in every 6,507 girls. The name has seen particular favor in states like Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota. Its botanical elegance and literary pedigree in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night give it a gentle, timeless appeal.
Viola is the Latin word for violet, the flower. It was used as a given name in Italy and England during the Renaissance, appearing in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (c. 1601). The name has remained in occasional use ever since, with a notable peak in the United States around 1908.
Where Viola is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Vi, Lola, Ola
Sibling names for Viola
Names that share Viola's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Mae, Daisy, Rose, Lily, Ivy, Almira, Iola, Ofelia, Oleta, Portia, Venita, Arletta, Armanda, Celesta, Cleora, Cleta, Elmira, Floria, Genevia, Laveta, Tavia, Theola, Zinnia, Cleola, Fiore, Juanice, Kalysta, Lavella, Levonia, Loleta, Mayola, Neola, Odetta, Pecola, Pecolia, Trilby, Valma, Valora, Vassie, Velta, Vola, Wyoma, Armeda, Delcia, Fedora, Fiora, Florella, Ludell, Mandolin, Oletta, Valetta, Venora, Verlia, Ovida, Alleta, Armetta, Beola, Filippa, Gladiola, Laberta, Lavene, Levora, Minola, Modine, Oleda, Orilla, Ovetta, Rosea, Syvilla, Veona, Veora, Wynonia, Zeola
Brothers: Leo, Oscar, Felix, Hugo, Jasper, Odell, Rosevelt, Alto, Arvie, Cornel, Clydell, Marinus, Olanda, Othell
