Viola

[LoveThatName]

Could some one tell me what the history behind the name Viola is? I was wondering what the connection between the name Viola and the musical instrument is. Do you know if there is any significance to it in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (between the musical instrument Viola and the character Viola)?

Thank you so much!

[Panya]

Viola means "violet" in Italian. I have an older co-worker from Italy named Viola, and she said she thinks it's strange to name a baby after an instrument, and insisted that all Violas are named after the flower. :shrug:

[thane]

My mother's mn is Viola and she hates it. I think its the musical instrument connection that bothers her.

[CascadingIris]

Viola is a beautiful name, and the very reason I like it is due to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night -- wonderful play! :)

[KNY]

I say the instrument like "vee-OH-la" and the name like "VYE-oh-la"

[LaLaLalena]

Ditto Kalee. I say the flower like VYE-oh-la too. So, I think the name is after the flower like Poppy and Daisy are. I thought it was a coincidence that the instrument and flower have the same name, like bow and bow.

[nomdeplume]

AFAIK, Viola and violet, the flower names, come from the Latin word viola which referred to the plants and migrated into English.

The names of the stringed instruments -- viola, violin, violone, violoncello, etc. -- comes from a Medieval Latin word, vitula, which meant "stringed instrument." It became a Provencal word and then a French one, losing the letter t, before being adopted into English.

I think being named after something that makes music would be kind of cool. As to pronuniciation, the Viola I knew said Vye-OH-luh.