Violet

Violet is an English given name derived from the Latin viola, meaning the violet flower, itself borrowed into Old French as violette before entering Middle English. The name carries associations with the small purple-flowering plant long symbolic of modesty and faithfulness in European tradition. It came into common use as a personal name in the nineteenth century, particularly in Britain, as floral names became fashionable. Related forms include the French Violette, the Italian and Spanish Viola, and the Latinate Violetta, famously borne by the tragic heroine of Verdi's opera La Traviata.