In 1835, Charles Inskipp, a portrait painter who lived in southeast England, married Sarah Anne Baker. The couple went on to welcome at least six children:
Emily, b. 1836
Harold, b. 1837
Napoleon Tristram Shandy, b. 1839
Corregio Quinton, b. 1841
Rembrandt Claude, b. 1844
Boadicea Mary, b. 1848
Their last four children were evidently named after…
Italian painter Correggio (in full: Antonio Allegri da Correggio),
Dutch painter Rembrandt (in full: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn), and
British queen Boudicca (who led a rebellion against the Romans circa 60 A.D.).
I’m not sure why Charles and Sarah switched to conspicuously famous names after their second baby, but, given Charles’ occupation, I’m not surprised that two of those names refer to painters.
Looking for baby names that are associated with the color orange — including baby names that mean “orange”?
If so, you’re in luck — I’ve collected dozens of ideas for you in this post.
But, before we get to the names, let’s take a look at what the color orange represents…
Symbolism of orange
What does the color orange signify?
In Western cultures in particular, orange can be symbolic of:
Warmth
Creativity
Adventure
Freshness
Happiness
Attraction
Success
It can also be associated with safety. A vivid reddish-orange — one that contrasts well with the blue of the sky — is used to make clothing and equipment highly visible in certain circumstances (e.g., at construction sites, during hunting season).
In Eastern cultures, orange is considered a sacred color. In Hinduism, for example, orange represents fire and, thereby, purity (as impurities are burned away by fire).
Baby names associated with orange
All of the names below have an association with the color orange. The names range from common to uncommon, and their associations range from strong to slight.
Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.
Aethon and Aithon Aethon, also spelled Aithon, is derived from the Ancient Greek word aithon, which means “burning, blazing.”
Aki Aki is a Japanese name that can mean “autumn,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Aki.
Alba Alba is a feminine name meaning “dawn” in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and other Romance languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Alba.
Amber The word amber refers to fossilized tree resin that is commonly used as a gemstone. By extension, the word also refers to the yellowish-orange color of this material. The fossilized resin, which washes up on the seashore in the Baltic region, came to be called “amber” during the Middle Ages — likely due to an association with ambergris (a material produced by sperm whales that also washes up on the shore). Here’s the popularity graph for Amber.
Anatole Anatole is the modern French masculine form of Anatolius. Here’s the popularity graph for Anatole.
Anatolia Anatolia is a feminine form of Anatolius. Here’s the popularity graph for Anatolia.
Anatolios Anatolios was an Ancient Greek name derived from the word anatole, meaning “sunrise.”
Anatolius Anatolius is the Latinized form of Anatolios.
Anatoliy Anatoliy is the modern Russian and Ukrainian masculine form of Anatolius. Here’s the popularity graph for Anatoliy.
Apricot Apricot fruits are yellowish-orange. Apricot trees are part of the genus Prunus.
Aurora Aurora, the Latin word for “dawn,” was the name of the Roman goddess of dawn. Here’s the popularity graph for Aurora.
Autumn The word autumn refers to the season during which the leaves of deciduous trees turn various colors, including orange. Halloween — a holiday strongly associated with the color orange — is also celebrated during Autumn (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). Here’s the popularity graph for Autumn.
Azar Azar is a Persian gender-neutral name meaning “fire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Azar.
Blaze The vocabulary word blaze refers to a fire, particularly one that’s burning intensely. Blaze is also a homophone of the (more traditional) name Blaise, which ultimately derives from the Latin word blaesus, meaning “lisping.” Here’s the popularity graph for Blaze.
Canna Canna flowers are sometimes orange. The genus name Canna is derived from the Latin word canna, meaning “reed.” Here’s the popularity graph for Canna.
Carnelian Carnelian, a variety of the mineral chalcedony, is frequently orange. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Latin word cornus, which refers to a type of berry, altered by the influence of the Latin word carneus, meaning “flesh-colored.”
Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum (pronounced krih-SAN-thuh-muhm) flowers are often orange. The genus name Chrysanthemum is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words khrysos, meaning “gold,” and anthemon, meaning “blossom, flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Chrysanthemum.
Citrine Citrine, a variety of the mineral quartz, is usually orange. The adjective citrine can be traced back to the Latin word citrus. Here’s the popularity graph for Citrine.
Clementine Clementine fruits are a cross between mandarin orange and sweet orange. They were named after French priest Clément Rodier, who discovered the cultivar while in Algeria. The name Clément is derived from the Latin word clemens, meaning “merciful.” Here’s the popularity graph for Clementine.
Copper Copper is a metallic element with a lustrous orange-brown color. Here’s the popularity graph for Copper.
Dahlia Dahlia flowers are sometimes orange. The genus Dahlia was named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. Here’s the popularity graph for Dahlia.
Dawn Dawn refers to the period of time in the early morning (before sunrise) when the sky begins to brighten with daylight. This light at dawn tends to have an orange hue. The word dawn can be traced back to the Old English verb dagian, meaning “to become day.” Here’s the popularity graph for Dawn.
Dysis Dysis, the Ancient Greek word for “sunset,” was the name of the Greek goddess of the hour of sunset.
Ember The word ember refers a glowing, slowly burning piece of solid fuel (like wood or coal). It’s often used in the plural to refer to the smoldering remains of a fire. Here’s the popularity graph for Ember.
Eos Eos, the Ancient Greek word for “dawn,” was the name of the Greek goddess of dawn.
Fajr Fajr is an Arabic feminine name meaning “dawn.” Here’s the popularity graph for Fajr.
Fiamma Fiamma (pronounced FYAM-ma) is an Italian feminine name meaning “flame.” Here’s the popularity graph for Fiamma.
Fox Fox fur, if you’re talking about the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), is largely orange. The word fox is ultimately derived from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning “tail.” Here’s the popularity graph for Fox.
Gaeul Gaeul is a Korean gender-neutral name meaning “autumn.”
Gladiola Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes orange. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves. Here’s the popularity graph for Gladiola.
Helen Helen is a form of the Ancient Greek name Helene, which is likely based on the word helene, meaning “torch.” Also, plants of the genus Helenium have flowers that are sometimes orange. The genus was named in honor of Helen of Troy. Here’s the popularity graph for Helen.
Honey Honey can be orange. The Old English word for “honey” was hunig. Here’s the popularity graph for Honey.
Iskra Iskra is a feminine name meaning “spark” in Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Iskra.
Jack Jack is part of “Jack-o’-Lantern” — a term that, since the 1800s, has referred to a carved pumpkin used as a lantern during Halloween. It originated as “Jack of the lantern” in 17th-century England, where it was used as a generic term for any lantern-carrying night watchman. Here’s the popularity graph for Jack.
“Flaming June”
June June (besides being a month) is part of “Flaming June” — the name of the 1895 painting by Frederic Leighton. “Flaming June” features a red-headed woman wearing a diaphanous orange dress and sleeping by the sea (which reflects the golden rays of the setting sun). Here’s the popularity graph for June.
Keahi Keahi is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “the fire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Keahi.
Kealaula Kealaula is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name that means “the light of early dawn” or “the sunset glow.” The literal definition is “the flaming road” (ala means “path, road,” and ula means “to flame”).
Marigold The word marigold refers to any flowering plant of either the New World genus Tagetes or the Old World genus Calendula. By extension, it also refers to the yellowish-orange color of these flowers. Here’s the popularity graph for Marigold.
Meli Meli was the Ancient Greek word for “honey.” Here’s the popularity graph for Meli.
Monarch Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have wings that are largely orange. They were named “monarch” in the 1800s, possibly in honor of England’s King William III, who was also the Prince of Orange. The word is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words monos, meaning “alone,” and arkhos, meaning “ruler.” Here’s the popularity graph for Monarch.
Neven Neven is a masculine name meaning “marigold” in Serbian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, and other Slavic languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Neven.
Nevena Nevena is the feminine form of Neven. Here’s the popularity graph for Nevena.
Orange Orange, of course, refers to the color orange. :) Orange fruits were introduced to Europe by the Moors in the 10th century. The word for the fruit, which can be traced back to Sanskrit, entered the English language (via French) in the late 14th century. The first recorded use of “orange” as a color name in English didn’t come along until the early 16th century. (This explains why many things that are clearly orange — like red hair, red foxes, and the robin redbreast — are called “red”: They were named long before the color-word “orange” entered the English language!) Here’s the popularity graph for Orange.
Orchid Orchid flowers are sometimes orange. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants. Here’s the popularity graph for Orchid.
Oriole Oriole is a type of bird that often has orange plumage. “Oriole” is the common name of birds in the genera Icterus and Oriolidae. The common name is derived from the Latin word aureolus, meaning “golden.” Here’s the popularity graph for Oriole.
Peach Peach fruits are typically orange. Peach trees are part of the genus Prunus. Here’s the popularity graph for Peach.
Pele Pele, the Hawaiian word for “lava flow, volcano, eruption,” was the name of the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. Here’s the popularity graph for Pele.
Pyrrha Pyrrha is the feminine form of Pyrrhus. Here’s the popularity graph for Pyrrha.
Pyrrhos Pyrrhos, meaning “flame-colored,” was an Ancient Greek name derived from the word pyr, meaning “fire.”
Pyrrhus Pyrrhus is the Latinized form of Pyrrhos.
Robin Robin redbreast originally referred to the Old World songbird Erithacus rubecula, which has orange plumage on the face and breast. “Robin” is a Middle English diminutive of the name Robert. Here’s the popularity graph for Robin.
Roth Roth comes from a German surname that can be traced back to the Middle High German word rot, meaning “red.” It was originally a nickname for a red-haired person. Here’s the popularity graph for Roth.
Rowan Rowan is an Anglicized form of Ruadhán. Here’s the popularity graph for Rowan.
Roy Roy is an Anglicized form of Ruadh. Here’s the popularity graph for Roy.
Ruadh Ruadh (pronounced roo-ah) means “red” or “red-haired” in Irish and Scottish Gaelic.
Ruadhán Ruadhán is a diminutive form of Ruadh.
Rufina and Rufino Rufina (feminine) and Rufino (masculine) are the modern Spanish forms of the Roman family name Rufinus, which was based on Rufus. Here are the popularity graphs for Rufina and Rufino.
Rufus Rufus derives from the Latin word rufus, meaning “red” or “red-haired.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rufus.
Rusty Rusty is an adjective referring to rust (iron oxide), which tends to be orange-brown. Here’s the popularity graph for Rusty.
Saffron Saffron is a spice made from the styles and stigmas of Crocus sativus flowers. By extension, the word — which can be traced back to the Arabic name for the spice, za’faran — also refers to the deep yellowish-orange color of fabrics dyed with saffron. Here’s the popularity graph for Saffron.
Seville Seville orange is a variety of bitter orange named after the Spanish city of Sevilla. Here’s the popularity graph for Seville.
Shachar Shachar is a Hebrew gender-neutral name meaning “dawn.”
Shraga Shraga is an Aramaic masculine name meaning “candle.” Here’s the popularity graph for Shraga.
Shula Shula is an Arabic feminine name meaning “flame.” Here’s the popularity graph for Shula.
Smith Smith comes from a surname that originally referred to a metalworker, such as a blacksmith or a farrier. When heated metal (like iron) comes out of a fire to be forged, it’s often glowing a yellowish-orange color. The smith in “blacksmith” is likely derived from the Old English verb smitan, meaning “to smite” or “to strike” (as with a hammer). Here’s the popularity graph for Smith.
Sunrise and Sunset Sunrise and Sunset are times at which the sun appears reddish-orange. Particles in the Earth’s atmosphere scatter more short-wavelength light than long-wavelength light, so when the sun is low on the horizon — and its light is traveling a longer distance through the atmosphere to reach your eyes — you’ll end up seeing less violet and blue, and more red and orange. Here are the popularity graphs for Sunrise and Sunset
Tangerine Tangerine fruits are orange. Tangerine trees are part of the genus Citrus. Here’s the popularity graph for Tangerine.
Tawny Tawny is an adjective that refers to a brownish-orange color. Here’s the popularity graph for Tawny.
Tiger Tiger (Panthera tigris), the largest living species of cat, has fur that is mostly orange. Here’s the popularity graph for Tiger.
Tigerlily Tigerlily refers to “tiger lily,” the common name of several species of flowering plant in the genus Lilium — particularly the species Lilium lancifolium — that have showy orange flowers. Here’s the popularity graph for Tigerlily.
Ushas Ushas, the Sanskrit word for “dawn,” was the name of the Vedic (Hindu) goddess of dawn.
Valencia Valencia orange is a cultivar of sweet orange named after the Spanish city of València. Here’s the popularity graph for Valencia.
Zinnia Zinnia flowers are sometimes orange. The genus Zinnia was named in honor of German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn. Fun fact: An orange zinnia blossomed in space in early 2016! Here’s the popularity graph for Zinnia.
Zora Zora is a feminine name meaning “dawn” in Serbian, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Zora.
Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color orange?
P.S. Want to see more color-related baby names? Here are lists of red, yellow, green, blue, and purple names.
Charles and Harriet “Hattie” Hanna married in the late 1800s and went on to have at least six children — including a set of identical triplets.
The three baby girls were born in Buffalo, New York, in September of 1906. They were named Ida, Iva, and Eva.
Surviving identical triplets were rare in those days, making the Hanna sisters somewhat of a curiosity. So, as young children, they traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada as circus sideshow performers.
The Hanna triplets (at six weeks old)
The girls left the circus to attend school, but began performing again as teenagers. This time around they worked for a musical/comedy theater company in Kansas City, Missouri. One newspaper article mentioned that their talents included “dancing, singing and saxophone playing.”
In their 20s, they retired from show business to get married. Notably, Eva’s husband was George Hulme, better known as the famous mid-20th century circus clown Bumpsy Anthony.
What do you think of Ida, Iva, and Eva as triplet names? Which one of the three do you like best?
P.S. According to the 1910 U.S. Census, two of the triplets’ siblings were named Jennie (older) and Mildred (younger).
Sources:
Dawdy, Kirk. “Woodstock and the Circus (PDF).” Local History: Woodstock & McHenry County, Woodstock Public Library.
Looking for baby names that are associated with purple — including baby names that mean “purple”?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve collected dozens of options for you in this post.
Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what the color purple represents…
Symbolism of purple
What does the color purple signify?
In Western cultures in particular, purple can be symbolic of:
Royalty
Nobility
Wisdom
Luxury
Imagination
Mystery
Spirituality
The color came to be identified with royalty and nobility during ancient times. In those days, creating purple dye for fabric was laborious and time-consuming, so the dye was very expensive. As a result, only the wealthy could afford to wear purple-colored clothing.
Baby names associated with purple
All of the names below are associated with the color purple. The names range from traditional to unusual, and their associations range from strong to slight.
Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.
Amaranth Amaranth flowers are sometimes purple. The genus name Amaranthus is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words amarantos, meaning “unfading,” and anthos, meaning “flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Amaranth.
Amethyst The word amethyst refers to a purple variety of the mineral quartz. (The Ancient Greeks thought that amethyst — perhaps due to its wine-like color — would prevent drunkenness, so they called it amethustos, meaning “not intoxicating.”) By extension, the word also refers to the purple color of these crystals. Amethyst will only form in quartz that: (a) contains trace amounts of iron, and (b) is exposed to low-level gamma radiation. The radiation will oxidize the iron, and thereby change the crystal’s color from clear to purple. Here’s the popularity graph for Amethyst.
Aster Aster flowers are often purple. The genus name Aster, derived from the Ancient Greek word aster, meaning “star,” is a reference to the shape of the flower head. Here’s the popularity graph for Aster.
Aubrieta Aubrieta flowers are commonly purple. The genus Aubrieta was named in honor of French botanical artist Claude Aubriet.
Azalea Azalea (pronounced uh-ZAY-lee-uh) flowers are sometimes purple. The (obsolete) genus name Azalea is derived from the Ancient Greek word azaleos, meaning “dry.” Here’s the popularity graph for Azalea.
Banafsha Banafsha is a Persian feminine name meaning “violet.”
Betony Betony flowers are usually purple. “Betony” is the common name of plants in the genus Stachys. Here’s the popularity graph for Betony.
Bíbor Bíbor (pronounced BEE-bor) is a Hungarian masculine name based on the word bíbor, meaning “purple.”
Bíborka Bíborka is a feminine form of Bíbor.
Bora Bora is a Korean feminine name meaning “purple.” (Though the name has appeared in the U.S. data, this probably reflects the usage of the identical Albanian name, which means “snow.”) Here’s the popularity graph for Bora.
Fjóla Fjóla (pronounced FYOH-lah) is an Icelandic and Faroese feminine name meaning “violet.”
Fjólar Fjólar is the masculine form of Fjóla.
Giacinta and Giacinto Giacinta (feminine) and Giacinto (masculine) are the Italian forms of Hyacinth. Here’s the popularity graph for Giacinto.
Gladiola Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes purple. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves. Here’s the popularity graph for Gladiola.
Haze Haze (besides being a vocabulary word) is part of “Purple Haze” [vid] — the title of the song by Jimi Hendrix. “Purple Haze” was the opening track of the iconic album Are You Experienced (1967). Here’s the popularity graph for Haze.
Heather Heather flowers are usually purple. “Heather” is the common name of plants in the genus Calluna. Here’s the popularity graph for Heather.
Honesty Honesty (besides being a vocabulary word) is the common name of the plant species Lunaria annua, which has flowers that are frequently purple. The common name is likely a reference to the translucence of the seed pods. Here’s the popularity graph for Honesty.
Hyacinth Hyacinth flowers are often purple. The genus Hyacinthus was named for the plant’s association with the myth of Hyacinthus (who was one of the lovers of Apollo in Greek mythology). Here’s the popularity graph for Hyacinth.
Iantha Iantha is a variant of Ianthe. Here’s the popularity graph for Iantha.
Ianthe Ianthe, which means “violet flower,” is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words ion, meaning “violet,” and anthos, meaning “flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Ianthe.
Ibolya Ibolya is a Hungarian form of Viola.
Iola Iola is a variant of Iole. Here’s the popularity graph for Iola.
Iolanda Iolanda is the Portuguese and Italian form of Yolanda. Here’s the popularity graph for Iolanda.
Iolanthe Iolanthe may be a variant of Yolanda influenced by the name Ianthe.
Iole Iole (pronounced IE-oh-lee) is based on the Ancient Greek word ion, meaning “violet.” In Greek myth, Iole was one of Heracles’ many objects of desire. Here’s the popularity graph for Iole.
Iona Iona could be considered a variant of Ione, though more often it’s a reference to the Scottish island of Iona. Here’s the popularity graph for Iona.
Ione Ione (pronounced ie-OH-nee) is also based on the Ancient Greek word ion, meaning “violet.” Here’s the popularity graph for Ione.
Iris The word iris can refer to several things, including flowering plants of the genus Iris, the name of which comes from the Ancient Greek word for “rainbow.” The showy blooms of these plants come in a variety of colors (as the name suggests), though we often think of irises as being shades of purple. For instance, did you know that all of the irises in Vincent van Gogh’s various paintings were once purple? His irises now appear blue only because the red pigment he used to create the purple has faded over time. Here’s the popularity graph for Iris.
Jacaranda Jacaranda flowers are purple. The genus name Jacaranda is derived from a Tupi-Guarani word meaning “fragrant.”
Jacinta and Jacinto Jacinta (feminine) and Jacinto (masculine) are the Spanish and Portuguese forms of Hyacinth. Here are the popularity graphs for Jacinta and Jacinto.
Jolanda Jolanda (pronounced yoh-LAHN-dah) is the Dutch form of Yolanda. Here’s the popularity graph for Jolanda.
Lavender Lavender flowers are typically purple. “Lavender” is the common name of plants in the genus Lavandula. The genus name is derived from the Latin word lividus, meaning “bluish,” and/or the Latin word lavare, meaning “to wash” (due to aromatic lavender being used in washing and bathing). Here’s the popularity graph for Lavender.
Liila Liila is the Finnish form of Lilac.
Lila Lila is the Swedish form of Lilac, though the name also has other possible meanings (e.g., “play” in Sanskrit, “night” in Arabic). Here’s the popularity graph for Lila.
Lilac Lilac flowers are frequently purple. “Lilac” is the common name of plants in the genus Syringa. Here’s the popularity graph for Lilac.
Lupine Lupine flowers are often purple. The genus name Lupinus is derived from the Latin word lupinus, meaning “wolfish” (from lupus, “wolf”). Here’s the popularity graph for Lupine.
Magenta Magenta is a reddish-purple color. A French chemist first synthesized magenta-colored dye in the late 1850s, and the color was eventually named “Magenta” in honor of the French-Sardinian victory at the Battle of Magenta (1859). Here’s the popularity graph for Magenta.
Malva Malva flowers are commonly purple. The genus name Malva comes from the Latin word for the plant, malva.
Murasaki Murasaki is a Japanese feminine name meaning “purple.” Originally it referred to the gromwell plant, the root of which was used to make purple dye.
Orchid Orchid flowers are sometimes purple. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants. Here’s the popularity graph for Orchid.
Phoenix Phoenix refers to the mythical bird, but the name of that bird was based on the Ancient Greek word phoinix, meaning “purple” or “crimson.” Here’s the popularity graph for Phoenix.
Plum Plum fruits are commonly purple. Plum trees are part of the genus Prunus. Here’s the popularity graph for Plum.
Porfiria and Porfirio Porfiria (feminine) and Porfirio (masculine) are the modern Spanish forms of Porphyrius. Here are the popularity graphs for Porfiria and Porfirio.
Porfiriy Porfiriy is the modern Russian masculine form of Porphyrius.
Porphyrios Porphyrios was an Ancient Greek name derived from the word porphyra, meaning “purple dye, purple.”
Porphyrius Porphyrius is the Latinized form of Porphyrios.
Purple Purple, which can also be traced back to the ancient Greek word porphyra, is rarely used as a given name…though I did spot a girl named Purple in Los Angeles’ baby name data a few years back.
Rebecca Rebecca is part of “rebeccapurple” — the name of the shade of purple with the hex value #663399. The color name pays tribute to Rebecca Meyer, the daughter of web design pioneer Eric Meyer. Rebecca, whose favorite color was purple, passed away on her 6th birthday (in mid-2014). The biblical name Rebecca is ultimately derived from the Semitic root r-b-q, meaning “to tie” or “to secure.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rebecca.
Sigalit Sigalit is a Hebrew feminine name meaning “violet.”
Sumire Sumire (pronounced soo-mee-reh) is a Japanese name that can mean “violet,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Sumire.
Temenuzhka Temenuzhka is a Bulgarian feminine name meaning “violet.”
Thistle Thistle flowers are usually purple. “Thistle” is the common name of various prickly plants, most of which are in the Asteraceae family. Here’s the popularity graph for Thistle.
Twila Twila may be based on the English word “twilight.” During twilight, the sky can turn various shades of purple. Here’s the popularity graph for Twila.
Twyla Twyla is a variant of Twila. Here’s the popularity graph for Twyla.
Tyrian Tyrian (pronounced TEE-ree-uhn) is part of “Tyrian purple” — the name of the expensive purple dye used during ancient times that I mentioned earlier. The source of the dye was a type of sea snail found in the Mediterranean, near the city of Tyre (now part of Lebanon). The city name can be traced back to the Hebrew word tsor, meaning “rock,” as the settlement was originally built upon a rocky formation. Here’s the popularity graph for Tyrian.
Verbena Verbena flowers are sometimes purple. The genus name Verbena is derived from the Latin word verbena, which referred to the leaves, twigs, and branches of specific plants (like laurel, olive, and myrtle) that were used during religious ceremonies. Here’s the popularity graph for Verbena.
Vernonia Vernonia flowers are typically purple. The genus Vernonia was named in honor of English botanist William Vernon.
Viola Viola is based on the Latin word viola, meaning “violet.” In fact, the genus Viola includes many (though not all) violet flowers. Here’s the popularity graph for Viola.
Violanda Violanda is another elaboration of Viola. Here’s the popularity graph for Violanda.
Violet The word violet refers to any flowering plant of the genus Viola — particularly the fragrant species Viola odorata — or to any similar-looking flowering plant. By extension, it also refers to the bluish-purple color of these flowers. Here’s the popularity graph for Violet.
Violeta The name Violeta is a form of Violet used in Spanish, Romanian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and other languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Violeta.
Violett Violett is a variant of Violet. Here’s the popularity graph for Violett.
Violetta Violetta is an Italian and Hungarian form of Violet. Here’s the popularity graph for Violetta.
Violette The name Violette is a form of Violet used in French. Here’s the popularity graph for Violette.
Violia Violia is an elaboration of Viola. Here’s the popularity graph for Violia.
Viorica Viorica is a Romanian form of Viola.
Wisteria Wisteria (pronounced wuh-STEE-ree-uh) flowers are frequently light purple. The genus Wisteria was named in honor of American physician and anatomist Caspar Wistar. Here’s the popularity graph for Wisteria.
Yolanda Yolanda may have been derived from the medieval European feminine name Violante, which was based on the Latin word viola, “violet.” Here’s the popularity graph for Yolanda.
Yolande Yolande is the French form of Yolanda. Here’s the popularity graph for Yolande.
Yukari Yukari is a Japanese feminine name that can mean “purple,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Yukari.
Yukariko Yukariko is a Japanese name that can include the element Yukari.
Zi Zi (third tone) is a Chinese name that can mean “purple,” depending upon the character being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Zi.
Ziming Ziming is a Chinese name that can include the element Zi.
Ziyang Ziyang is another Chinese name that can include the element Zi. Here’s the popularity graph for Ziyang.
Zinnia Zinnia flowers are sometimes purple. The genus Zinnia was named in honor of German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn. Here’s the popularity graph for Zinnia.
Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color purple?
P.S. Want to see more color-related baby names? Here are lists of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue names.
Aubrieta image adapted from Purple rock cress (public domain) by Elias Ziade.
Rebeccapurple image by Nancy.
[Latest update: Dec. 2023]
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cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
