girls' name ★ peaked 1918

Viola

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #1,015 Trend → Stable

Viola is a feminine given name derived from the Latin viola, given in reference to the flowering plant species.

Rank 2025
#1,015
among girls · ↑171 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
247
named Viola · +22% vs 2024
How common
1 in 6,507
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1918
4,342 babies
All-time total
133,427
#306 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Viola popularity over time

133,427 babies have been named Viola since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
1.883.755.637.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 3,806 5 3,811 381 – #74
1890s 9,386 12 9,398 940 +147% #50
1900s 16,559 64 16,623 1,662 +77% #42
1910s 33,076 81 33,157 3,316 +99% #47
1920s 33,251 145 33,396 3,340 +1% #59
1930s 14,256 89 14,345 1,435 -57% #116
1940s 8,269 38 8,307 831 -42% #190
1950s 5,386 – 5,386 539 -35% #311
1960s 2,732 – 2,732 273 -49% #474
1970s 1,058 – 1,058 106 -61% #883
1980s 764 – 764 76 -28% #1,242
1990s 488 – 488 49 -36% #2,214
2000s 734 – 734 73 +50% #1,847
2010s 1,871 – 1,871 187 +155% #1,078
2020s (to 2025) 1,357 – 1,357 226 +21% #1,015

Where Viola is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 250 0.16 outside top 500
2027 253 0.16 outside top 500
2028 255 0.16 outside top 500
2029 257 0.16 outside top 500
2030 259 0.16 outside top 500

Where Viola is most popular

Girls named Viola per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.141 per 1,000. Strongest in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Viola born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Wisconsin 45 0.437 +211%
Minnesota 42 0.389 +177%
Missouri 43 0.357 +154%
Michigan 58 0.318 +126%
Oregon 19 0.292 +107%
Pennsylvania 65 0.275 +95%
Iowa 16 0.274 +95%
Washington 29 0.201 +43%
Ohio 43 0.181 +29%
Indiana 24 0.171 +22%
Colorado 19 0.170 +21%
New York 65 0.164 +17%
Oklahoma 11 0.149 +6%
Idaho 5 0.149 +6%
Illinois 32 0.140 ≈ national
California 104 0.124 -12%
Texas 84 0.104 -26%
Massachusetts 12 0.099 -29%
Maryland 10 0.094 -33%
North Carolina 20 0.088 -38%
Kansas 5 0.087 -38%
Tennessee 13 0.082 -42%
Georgia 18 0.079 -44%
Florida 31 0.072 -48%
Kentucky 6 0.070 -50%
South Carolina 6 0.067 -53%
Virginia 11 0.065 -54%
Utah 5 0.060 -57%
New Jersey 5 0.028 -80%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Viola

Viola is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,015 in 2025 with 247 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 133,427 American babies have been named Viola. Its peak came in 1918, when 4,342 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Viola stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Viola?

The median living Viola is about 72 years old; half are between 52 and 84. An estimated 23 thousand people named Viola are alive in the United States today.

median 72 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Viola year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 247 #1,015 – –
2024 202 #1,186 – –
2023 233 #1,069 – –
2022 249 #1,031 – –
2021 210 #1,168 – –
2020 216 #1,119 – –
2019 234 #1,078 – –
2018 214 #1,144 – –
2017 212 #1,164 – –
2016 223 #1,139 – –
2015 192 #1,274 – –
2014 194 #1,252 – –
2013 181 #1,300 – –
2012 169 #1,383 – –
2011 135 #1,611 – –
2010 117 #1,768 – –
2009 116 #1,847 – –
2008 97 #2,105 – –
2007 101 #2,033 – –
2006 99 #2,015 – –
2005 61 #2,754 – –
2004 53 #2,994 – –
2003 60 #2,672 – –
2002 58 #2,671 – –
2001 44 #3,195 – –
2000 45 #3,118 – –
1995 41 #2,930 – –
1990 58 #2,233 – –
1985 64 #1,782 – –
1980 106 #1,242 – –
1975 88 #1,276 – –
1970 151 #883 – –
1965 250 #617 – –
1960 428 #474 – –
1955 512 #387 – –
1950 624 #311 – –
1945 765 #242 6 #3,318
1940 966 #190 10 #2,473
1935 1,325 #152 – –
1930 2,161 #116 6 #3,979
1925 3,336 #84 15 #2,185
1920 4,292 #59 18 #1,960
1915 3,855 #59 11 #2,452
1910 2,090 #48 8 #1,305
1905 1,697 #44 6 #1,226
1900 1,674 #49 5 #1,496
1895 1,010 #63 – –
1890 697 #68 – –
1885 345 #88 – –
1880 229 #94 – –

Famous people named Viola

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Viola Davis Viola Davis American actress and producer (born 1965) Contemporary
  2. 2 Viola Desmond Viola Desmond Black Canadian business woman and activist (1914–1965) Contemporary
  3. 3 Viola Amherd Viola Amherd Swiss Federal Councillor from 2019 to 2025 b. 1962 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Viola Brazilian footballer b. 1969 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Viola Dana Viola Dana American actress (1897–1987) 19th century
  6. 6 Viola Bauer German cross-country skier (born 1976) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Viola, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Viola?

The median living Viola is about 72 years old. Half of all living Violas are between 52 and 84 years old.

How many people named Viola are alive today?

An estimated 23 thousand people named Viola are alive in the United States, based on 133,427 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Viola mean?

Viola is a feminine given name derived from the Latin viola, given in reference to the flowering plant species.

How popular is the name Viola in 2025?

Viola ranked #1,015 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 247 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Viola?

133,427 babies have been named Viola in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Viola most popular?

Viola peaked in 1918, when 4,342 newborns received the name.

Is Viola a boy or girl name?

Viola is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Viola rising or falling?

Viola is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Viola become more popular?

Viola looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 259 girls named Viola in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Viola?

Well-known people named Viola include Viola Davis (actor), Viola Desmond (social activist), Viola Amherd (politician).

Names like Viola

Names that sound and feel close to Viola: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Viola with similar names → More names starting with V →