Color Names: Parents are partial to the color purple

I love Lavender, but I would be more inclined to spell it as Lavendar (the spelling used for the character Miss Lavendar Lewis in the Anne of Green Gables series).

The name Porfirio relates to the color purple. I like its sound but not really the image. Viola instead of Violette and Lilac are the faves. I want so badly to understand how Prune is chic in Paris!

I absolutely love Lilac, Plum, and Ianthe (though I can’t stand Iolanthe as pronounced yolantha).

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure Ianthe was Shelley’s daughter’s middle name and that she was Elizabeth or Eliza Ianthe Shelley.

I agree with poppy528, I prefer Viola, and likewise. Prune? I can sorta see that it could maybe be nice…

Aubergine or Wisteria could also be used as “Purple Names”. Ube is a type of purple yam. Iris feels like a purple name even though I know that flower comes in many shades. I wonder if the prevalence of purple baby names has anything to do with the pseudoscientific term “indigo child”?

Love this list!!! Purple is my favorite color :3

I love pretty much all the names, but one thing about Magenta: it’s also the name of the boy dog on Blue’s Clues. Not that it would be a bad thing, but that’s definitely a common association.

Also, I’ve wondered this for a while: if prune is the word for plum in French, then what is the name for prunes?

I am fairly certain that Magenta on Blue’s Clues is a girl dog.

Great list, I just added ‘Lilac’ and ‘Indigo’ to my girl’s list I never thought of those before, Lilac is one of my mom’s favorite plants, purple is one of my, her, and my sister’s favorite colors, and I love that Indigo could have ‘Indi’ as a nickname, I’m a racing fan

My nieces are named Violet and Scarlet (my SIL’s an artist) so I think it might be over the top for me to continue the color trend. Just further proof of how popular purple hues have become!

I love Lavender. It’s my favorite of the names listed. I’d be a bit apprehensive of future nicknames, but I think parents who’d use the name are less weary of that. I’d probably reserve if for the middle… I’ve always liked Hadley Lavender.

I also would’ve included Aubergine, Wisteria, and Iris. Maybe even Heather. They all bring violet to my mind.

I prefer Violetta over Violet. I love Orchid, I’m partial to Lilac, and Plum is growing on me

I want to like Lavender but I think masculine. I’m a Psych and L&O: SVU fan. Lavender Goomes is one of Gus’s aliases and on SVU there was a pimp/strip club owner named Lavander “It’s la-Van-der, do I look like a flower to you?”

I really love Lavender . It’s one of my top names, and I love how soft and pretty it is. I’d also love to use Plum someday, probably as a middle name, but maybe even a first. We’ll see.
I also like Violet, though its popularity puts me off it. I think Lilac is such a lovely name, too- such a great alternative to Lila/Lily/Lillian.

What gorgeous purple names – Violet, Lilac, Lavender, Amethyst, Magenta and Indigo are my favourites on this list. Cerise is a name that sounds pretty too!

I love everything purple, so obviously I love this blog! DH would never go for many of these (like Lavender) but I think they are great. I’m honored that you included a link to my post on Orchids!

I have Violet, Amethyst, Indigo, Lavender, Lilac, and Orchid on my list. Lavender is my fave

Phlox is a purple woodland wildflower that grows wild where I live. I could see Phlox working as a spunky purple nature name for the right family. It seems like a spin on the Lex, Fox, Lux, Max trend.

Wow! My favorite color is also purple. I must say Lavender ( In the movie “Matilda” which I own… Lol) has always been a adorable name. Plum & Orchid are also beauties. I have a cousin that has a rich and beautiful color name her name is “Burgundy” and we call her bergie.

I love Indigo and Lavender. I think Wisteria is beautiful, too. If I could have purple twins, I would call them Indogo and Wisteria.

I love Indigo and Lavender. I think Wisteria is beautiful, too. If I could have purple twins, I would call them Indigo and Wisteria.

I like Violet, Lavender, Lilac and Ianthe, and maybe Amethyst (as a middle name) but the rest are nms. I love the color purple!

The word ‘orchid’ comes from the Greek word ‘orchis,’ meaning ‘testicle.’ I wouldn’t use it as a given name.

Magenta is also a name from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. =)

Malva is actually the Latin name for the mallow, which comes in a variety of colours.

When we lived in Canada, our grammar school principal was asked to help a new mother from Hong Kong choose “English” names for her three daughters enrolling in our school. Our principal was against this, saying that many of our Asian students retained their original names and had no issues with them. The mother insisted, however, and asked for a translation of her children’s Chinese names into English from the translator. “Purple,” said the translator, and so, despite suggestions of Lilac, Lavender, Violet, and Aubergine, the girls became Purple Wong 1, Purple Wong 2, and Purple Wong 3….

I love Violet, so gorgeous. Indigo and Magenta are very cool as well, you could always use the nn Maggie for Magenta.

One thing to remember about Orchid, I’m surprised they didn’t say this, but it comes from the Greek word for testicle! very pretty flowers otherwise though.

I am so in love with the name Violet.

@starophie a prune is “un pruneau” in French

Mt fav color is purple so I love almost all of the names!My fav is Violet and Im starting to like Lilac…not sure how usuable it is though.

Violet, Amethyst and Indigo (for a boy) have been on my list for a while. I also like Lavender and think it is usable.

Ianthe and Iolanthe is definitely interesting, and I kind of like Lilac.

Violet has been a favorite ever since I read The Boxcar Children, and of course Downton Abbey gives it an even better connotation
I don’t mind Lilac, but “ac” doesn’t sound very appealing.
Amethyst sounds rather nice. It’s a way to get Amy without sounding nickname-y.

Magenta on Blue’s Clues is a boy. Blue is a girl. Magenta is also a character in Rocky Horror

Violet is one of my favorites ever, if I didn’t have a Dash it would definitely be in my top 3. I like a lot of purple names in theory more than in practice. Lilac is lovely but something about that -lac sound isn’t so great. Magenta, Lavender, Amethyst, Orchid… all cool but a bit over the top.

@jame1881 I’ve loved Violet since the Boxcar Children, too! She’s one of the color kids from Rainbow Brite, too, “Shy Violet”. I think those associations have helped Violet’s rise. I know The Boxcar Children have been around forever but still, lots of 80s kids probably read it, and combined with Rainbow Brite I think it just got into our consciousness and now we’re the ones having kids!

Both dogs on Blue’s Clues, Magenta and Blue, are girls. I couldn’t find a credible source that states otherwise.