Lavender

English

"purple flower"

Lavender Origin and Meaning

The name Lavender is a girl's name of English origin meaning "purple flower".

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold.

The flower's name derives from Latin lividus “bluish”, influenced by lavō “wash” due to use of lavender in washing clothes. It has long been used in traditional medicine and in cooking for its sweet fragrance and soothing properties. But it also has a long history as a name, going back to the eighteenth century, when it was also used for boys.

Famous fictional namesakes include Lavender Brown, a witch character in the Harry Potter saga, and the eponymous heroine's best friend in Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Lavender Popularity

• 207 Nameberry 2023
• 266 Unique 2022
• 1000 Future 2028