Violet

Violet is soft and sweet but not shrinking. The Victorian Violet, one of the prettiest of the color and flower names, was chosen by high-profile parents Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. Violet has begun a sure-to-be rapid climb to popularity, and is one of the Top 10 most-searched names on nameberry.

Funny for a name that dozed quietly for decades. Popular a hundred years ago, Violet began its steep descent by 1920, bottoming out in the early 1980s. But it started rising again about a decade ago and climbed even more sharply after Garner and Affleck chose it for their daughter.

Today, Violet is closing in on the Top 100, joining other such popular flower names as Lily, Daisy, and Rose. Viola is the Italian and Scandinavian version, used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night. Violetta is the frillier, more operatic version.