Baby Names Meaning Purple: Bold and Colorful

Let’s talk baby names meaning purple.

At first glance, that’s not an obvious choice. We can think of dozens of names related to the color red or the hue of blue.

But purple?

Led by Violet, as in the violet flower, a surprising number of choices do bring to mind this pretty color. The overwhelming majority are flowers, but that’s not all. 

Purple is associated with royalty, more than anything else. But purple is also the color of magic, often included in Halloween decorations and costumes, and sometimes even mystery and the spiritual realm.

If popularity matters, a few of these rank in the current US Top 1000. But many names meaning purple are delightfully uncommon.

AMETHYST

Gemstone names are often strongly associated with colors. It comes from a Greek word meaning intoxicating, as amethysts were believed to protect bearers from drunkenness. While this name is uncommon, it’s just outside the current US Top 1000.

ASTER, ASTRAEA, ASTRAIA

The aster flower is a purple color, but the word actually means star. In Greek mythology, Astraea or Astraia was a goddess of justice. She eventually became the constellation Virgo, so it’s a night sky name, too.

AZALEA

Another flower name. French variant Azelie is another potential option.

BELLFLOWER, BELLEFLEUR

Also called campanula, this pretty, purple, bell-shaped flower inspired the animated series The Bellflower Bunnies. The rabbits’ names were also inspired by flowers: Periwinkle, Poppy, Dandelion, Bramble, Violette.

CALFURAY

This name means violet flower in Mapuche, a language spoken by an indigenous people in Chile and Argentina.

FUCHSIA

Uncommon but not unknown, Fuchsia is a shade of vivid pink-purple red.

HADLEY

Also spelled Hadlee and Hadleigh, this surname name means heather field.

HEATHER

A 1970s chart-topper, Heather refers to a flowering shrub. The flowers are a dusty pinkish-purple color. Once among the most popular girl names, Heather feels like it should fit with Harper and Willow today. It’s just that so many moms are already Heather that we tend to overlook it for our daughters.

HYACINTH

Hyacinth flowers come in lots of colors now, but originally these spring flowers were mostly found in shades of purple and blue. Before it was a flower, Hyacinth was the name of a hero in Greek myth. When he died, drops of his blood became the flower.

IANTHE

Another name borrowed from Greek myth, Ianthe means violet flower.

INDIGO

We tend to think of the color indigo as blue, but it’s really a purplish-blue, somewhere in between.

IOLANTHE

Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1882 comic opera Iolanthe might’ve been the first use of the name. It’s probably a take on Yolanda, inspired by Ianthe.

IONE

Another name from Greek myth, once again meaning violet flower.

IRIS

Iris was the messenger of the gods in Greek myth, associated with rainbows. Her name inspired the blue-purple flower’s name, too.

JACINDA, JACINTA, JACINTO

All forms of Hyacinth.

LAVENDER

The pale purple flower is easily recognized as a color name, too. It’s a nature name that could follow Juniper and Violet into wider use.

LILAC

A pretty, delicate nature name, lilac flowers are typically a pale purple.

MAUVE

It looks like Maud met Maeve, but Mauve is actually a pale purple color.

ORCHID

Orchid is a bright, rich color associated with power. But orchids themselves come in a great many colors today.

PANSY

Often purple, Pansy flowers sound sweet and even forgettable as a given name. But it comes from the French word penser – to think – suggesting that Pansy may have hidden depths.

PETUNIA

Worn by Porky Pig’s girlfriend and Harry Potter’s odious aunt, Petunia hasn’t fare well as a given name. But never say never.

PLUM

An edible name that suggest the fruit, as well as the excellence that the name implies.

PORFIRIO

Another name with Greek origins, Porfirio originally referred to a purple dye. It’s one of the most clearly masculine choices on this list for baby boy names.

THISTLE

A symbol of Scotland, and another purple plant.

VIOLA, VIOLET, VIOLETA, VIOLETTE

The Latin word viola refers to this pretty flower. It also brings to mind the instrument. Violet is one of the powerfully popular names meaning purple, with variations like Violeta and Violette also trending.

WISTERIA

Tumbling Wisteria has some potential as a given name.

YOLANDA

Take Viola, make it Violante, and then import it to Spanish. Yolanda is the sophisticated, subtle purple baby name that results.

What would you add to this list of baby names meaning purple?