Of all the colors in the rainbow, I can’t think of one that holds more captivating baby name possibilities than the royal color purple. From the soft Lavender and Lilac to the vivid Violet and Plum, many baby names show a real passion for the various shades of purple.
By far the most popular of the purple names, the sweet and lovely Violet is now in the Top 75 on the U.S. Social Security list -- rising from a low of 996 in 1981 -- and Number 7 on Nameberry! Some credit must go to Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck for choosing the name in 2005. It’s a favorite of kidlit authors and other celebrity parents.
The gentle, sentimentally nostalgic Mauve, similar in sound to the growing-in-popularity Maude and Maeve, gave its name to a whole decade: the 1890’s was known as the Mauve Decade. Its Spanish translation is Malva -- offering another purple family possibility.
The strong purplish-red Magenta was seen in Harry Potter as Magenta Comstock, an experimental artist whose portraits’ eyes could follow a viewer all the way home and who was ‘Wizard of the Month’ in 2007. The color was named for the town of Magenta, Italy, and would fit in well with other Mag-starting names.
The fabulously fragrant Lilac could be in line to be come the next Lila or Lily or Violet. Actor Stephen Moyer has already chosen it for his daughter. The floral lilac has ties to Greek mythology, is considered a harbinger of spring, and in the language of flowers symbolizes first love.
With its tricky spelling, Fuchsia has not found many takers as a baby name, though singer Sting did use it for his now grown daughter -- who currently goes by Kate -- inspired by a character in the Gormenghast trilogy. The name Fuchsia is derived from a plant named for early German botanist Leonhart Fuchs, becoming an official color name in 1892.
Gem names like Pearl and Ruby are beginning to be joined by more exotic ones like Topaz, Sapphire and Amethyst. The purple birthstone for February could make a unique choice for a girl born in that month. Never in the Top 1000, it is now Number 798 on Nameberry. Trivia tidbit: It’s the real first name of Australian rapper Iggy Azalea.
A lacy vintage name that has the Nameberry stamp of approval, it’s now at Number 527 on on the site. This is one of the many nostalgic names we can thank J. K. Rowling for reviving, via the Harry Potter witch Lavender Brown. Lavender is also a best friend to Roald Dahl’s Matilda and a character in Anne of Green Gables.
The appealing and evocative Indigo, which is a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is a particularly striking choice for both boys and girls. Lou Diamond Phillips used it for his daughter. It’s especially popular for girls in England at the moment, where it ranks at Number 577.
One of the most exotic of blooms, Orchid is a shade of purple, even though the flower itself appears in different colors. With many parents seeking O names, some might consider this striking choice. In the Language of Flowers, the Orchid symbolizes love, beauty, refinement, thoughtfulness, mature charm and having many children.
Pretty plum is showing up more and more frequently as a middle name choice. It was first noticed on Brit-born novelist Plum Sykes, who was born Victoria and given that nickname via the variety of fruit called the Victoria Plum. Also the nickname of novelist P. G. Wodehouse, it wasn’t identified as a color name until 1805.
The romantic Iolanthe is derived from the Greek words for violet flower, as is Ianthe, which was used by the poet Shelley for one of his daughters. Iolanthe is a comic opera by Gilbert & Sullivan and also a character in the X-Men universe. The Spanish version Yolanda is yet another dramatic twist on Violet.
Aubergine
No, we neither expect nor advise you to name your child Eggplant, but the French version of the word does have a nice ring to it, a la the food-related Amandine and Clementine. But since it’s used as the vegetable word in England as well as France, we don’t recommend it for use in those countries.
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