Viola
The Latin word for the violet. Shakespeare gave it to the heroine of Twelfth Night, which helped establish it in English.
Viola in 2025
Viola was given to 247 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,940th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 13,422 babies born.
The history of Viola
Viola reached its highest point in 1918, when 4,342 babies were given the name, ranking 104th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 55th, in 1908.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 133,427 babies have been named Viola. Half of them were born before 1920, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Viola by decade
| Decade | Babies named Viola | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,811 | 109 |
| 1890s | 9,398 | 67 |
| 1900s | 16,623 | 55 |
| 1910s | 33,157 | 62 |
| 1920s | 33,396 | 104 |
| 1930s | 14,345 | 209 |
| 1940s | 8,307 | 354 |
| 1950s | 5,386 | 568 |
| 1960s | 2,732 | 840 |
| 1970s | 1,058 | 1,530 |
| 1980s | 764 | 2,057 |
| 1990s | 488 | 3,606 |
| 2000s | 734 | 3,251 |
| 2010s | 1,871 | 1,995 |
| 2020s | 1,357 | 1,938 |
Where Viola is heading
Viola has risen 29% over the past decade, from 192 babies in 2015 to 247 in 2025.
Names like Viola
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Viola.