Viola
About Viola
Viola has plenty of 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. With a touch of international flair, it also avoids the violent/Violet some parents have.
In the Bard's gender-bending comedy of identity and disguise, Viola is the appealing, passionate heroine, while later takes on this tale include Shakespeare in Love, with Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola de Lesseps and She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes. The most distinguished current real-life bearer is Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis.
Viola was a Top 50 name in the US from 1899 to 1911, falling off the list in 1972, but is still popular in other countries such as Italy, where it's in the Top 30 and Finland where it's in the Top 20. More recently, it has entered the England and Wales Top 1000, joining other Shakespearean favorites like Ophelia and Imogen.
And in the US too, where Violet is now a mega-star, strong Viola is climbing up the ranks again, with more than 230 girls given the name in a recent year.
The name does have a number of different pronunciations depending on preference and location. English speakers might say it with the long -i- sound in Violet, making it vye-O-luh or VYE-uh-luh, though vee-O-luh is used too. Elsewhere, it may be heard as VYAW-la (Italy), vih-OO-la (Sweden), vee-O-la (Spanish, German), VEE-aw-la (Slovak), and VEE-o-law (Hungarian). Occasionally, it might even be said with two syllables, VYE-luh, missing out the o sound, as you might in Violet.
Pronounced vee-OH-luh.
As of October 2026, Viola ranked #1015 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #42 in 1908, Nameberry popularity #468.
Editor's take: The name Viola is a girl's name of Italian, Latin origin meaning "violet".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,252 | 194 | 108.6 |
| 2015 | #1,274 | 192 | 107.6 |
| 2016 | #1,139 | 223 | 125.8 |
| 2017 | #1,164 | 212 | 122.8 |
| 2018 | #1,143 | 214 | 125.8 |
| 2019 | #1,076 | 234 | 139.4 |
| 2020 | #1,119 | 216 | 133.6 |
| 2021 | #1,168 | 210 | 128 |
| 2022 | #1,033 | 248 | 151.2 |
| 2023 | #1,072 | 232 | 144.6 |
| 2024 | #1,190 | 199 | 122.8 |
| 2025 | #1,015 | 247 | 153.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Viola.
- Zelda
- Hermione
- Rosalind
- Verity
- Marceline
- Paloma
- Petra
- Coraline
- Cosette
- Fleur
- Estelle
- Allegra
- Delphine
- Sylvia
- Olympia
- Evangelene
- Octavia
- Tabitha
- Cecily
- Guinevere
Viola on lists
Famous Violas
- Viola Maud Compton
English actress.
- Viola Mary Lyel
English actress.
- Viola Keats
English actress.
- Viola Elisabeth of Teschen
Queen consort of Wenceslaus III of Bohemia and Poland.
- Viola Davis Tennon
American actress.
- Viola Fauver Gregg Liuzzo
American minister and civil rights activist.
- Viola Farber
American choreographer and dancer.
- Viola Tree
English actress.
- Viola Harris
American actress.
- Viola Emily Allen
American silent film actress.
- Viola Barry (born Gladys Viola Wilson)
American silent film actress.
- Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugrath)
American silent film actress.
- Viola Cheptoo Lagat
Kenyan middle distance runner.
- Viola Bauer
German skier.
- Viola Odebrecht
German footballer.
- Viola Myers
Canadian sprinter.
- Viola Estelle Gentry
American aviatrix.
- Viola Mae Wills
American pop singer.
- Viola Gillette
American operatic contralto.
- Viola Spolin
American theatre coach.
- Viola Haqi
Dutch model.
- Viola Poley
German rower.
- Viola Maud (Lyttelton) Grosvenor
Duchess of Westminister 10 June 1912 – 3 May 1987) was the wife of Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster.
- Viola Georgina Grosvenor (b. 1992)
English heiress; granddaughter of Viola Grosvenor.
- Viola Mikkelsen (b. 1992)
daughter of actor Mads Mikkelsen.
- Viola Baah (b. 2012)
daughter of actress Beverly Afaglo and singer Praye Honeho.
- Viola Philomena Gallagher (b.2014)
daughter of ators Megan Hilty and Brian Gallagher.
- Viola Forchhammer (b.2016)
daughter of Lukas Forchhammer of the band Lukas Graham.
- Reece Viola Hamilton
daughter of athletes Laird Hamilton & Gabrielle Reece.
Viola in pop culture
- Viola
main character in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night;" twin of brother Sebastian
- Viola Eade
main character in the "Chaos Walking" trilogy
- Viola Lucy
character in the Chalet School series
- Viola "Vi
" waitress in the movie "Grease"
- Viola
one of Jake's daughters in animated series Adventure Time
- Viola Hastings
character in film "She's the Man"
- Viola De Lesseps
character in film "Shakespeare in Love"
- Viola
character in "Saints Row 3"
- Viola Cadaverini
character in "Ace Attorney" video game series
- Viola
character in video game "The Witch's House"
- Viola
character in the Soul Calibur series of games.
- Viola
a bug,type gym leader from the Pokemon video games and anime
- Viola
character in anime "Kiddy Grade"
- Viola
character in video game series TimeSplitters
- Viola
character in the Japanese video game series Zone of the Enders
- Viola
character in video game Eternal Sonata
- Viola Beach
late English rock band
- A viola is a stringed instrument
slightly larger than the violin, missing the violin E string and instead has a C string.
- Viola Willoughby
character played by Kate Siegel in “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”