Alternatives to Violet

Velvet is a name that couldn't possibly be softer or more luxuriant. Many people have fond memories of it via the character of Velvet Brown, played by the young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, an intrepid young woman willing to masquerade as a boy to race her horse in a dangerous steeplechase.

A quaint and poetic English word meaning "truly", which could easily make the switch to baby name usage, given its similarity to sophisticated vintage names like Verity and Cecily.

If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in England. It was used in Winston Graham's Poldark novels, was Madonna's name as James Bond's fencing instructor in Die Another Day, and made a brief appearance in Harry Potter. Not to mention being a fixture on British and Australian soaps. Verity also appears in one of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple mysteries.

Vi is a common short form for Violet and Viola, not commonly used as a full name. But if you're trying to bridge a long first name and a long last, the minimalist Vi might be exactly what you need in the middle.

Could be a short form of Sylvia, Olivia, or any other similar name. Or a vivid Italian word name.

This Beatrix alternate could make a good choice for globetrotting parents.

A particularly distinctive and dainty example of the life-affirming family of names.

Like Vita and Viva, one of several similar life-affirming names, this one was chosen by Matthew McConaughey and his Portuguese-born wife Camila. Vida may also be a diminutive of Davida. Australian suffragette and human rights campainer Vida Goldstein is an notable bearer of this name.

Vienna is one of the more popular of the European place-names, with a particularly pleasant sound, evoking elegant images of the Blue Danube, of castles and cafes, sweets and sausages and Strauss waltzes—and Sigmund Freud. It could be a possible substitute for the popular Sienna.

A nature name used in Catalonia, derived from the word for a vine or vineyard. It sounds like (and has the same origin as) Vignette, which has several English meanings in art, literature, and tax.

Viola has several positive elements going for it: the rhythm of the musical instrument, the association with the flower, the trending 'Vi' beginning and its leading role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Too close to violent.

With Violet in vogue, this vibrant international variation has been on the rise since the 2010s. Vintage and floral like its more popular sister, Violetta has a slightly softer sound and a touch of extra flair. Given to 135 girls in a recent year, it also gets you to nicknames Etta, Vita, and Lettie.

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the Spanish Violeta — both of which were among the fastest-rising girl names of 2023.

This name of a famous Parisian fashion designer known for her sophisticated 1920s and 30s style could translate into a pretty American baby name.

Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the sweet violet flower. Former Romanian prime minister Viorica Dănicilă is a famous bearer.

Vivian, once an elderly lady name, is on the rise, along with all form of girl names that mean life -- from Zoe to Eva to those who share the vivid Viv syllable. It was one of the fastest-rising names of 2023, vaulting into the Top 100.