NameCensus.

UK surname

Violet

A surname derived from the French flower name referring to the purple color.

In the 1881 census there were 57 people recorded with the Violet surname, ranking it #25,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #25,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tooting Graveney, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Brighton and Hove and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Violet is 144 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 115.8%.

1881 census count

57

Ranked #25,575

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1911

144 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Violet had 57 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 144 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Violet surname distribution map

The map shows where the Violet surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Violet surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Violet over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 50 #24,274
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 57 #25,575
1891 historical 78 #27,035
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 144 #18,325
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 128 #24,015
2001 modern 124 #24,114
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 110 #29,028
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Violets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tooting Graveney, London parishes, Manchester, Lambeth and Bideford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Brighton and Hove, Torridge and East Riding of Yorkshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Tooting Graveney London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Bideford Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 006 West Dorset
2 Brighton and Hove 002 Brighton and Hove
3 Torridge 003 Torridge
4 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 044 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Violet

These lists show first names that appear often with the Violet surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Violet

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Violet, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Violet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Violet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Violet is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Violet is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Violet falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Violet is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Violet, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Violet

The surname Violet is an English surname derived from the color violet, which itself comes from the Old French violette, from the Latin viola. The color name likely originated as a nickname for someone who frequently wore violet-colored clothing or had an affinity for the violet flower.

The earliest known record of the surname Violet dates back to the 13th century in England. In 1273, a Ralph Violet was mentioned in records from the county of Nottinghamshire. Around the same time, a William Violette was recorded in Somerset in 1279.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Violett, Vyolet, and Vyolette. A notable early bearer was John Vyolet, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

The Violet surname is also found in old French records, likely due to the shared linguistic roots. For instance, a Jehan Violet was mentioned in the Livre des Bourgeois de Valenciennes in 1369.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Violet surname. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Violet (c. 1505-1587), an English Member of Parliament and landowner from Northamptonshire.

In the 17th century, there was Jacques Violet (1619-1684), a French painter and engraver known for his portraits and religious works.

Later, in the 18th century, the surname was held by François Violet (1718-1793), a French actor and playwright who performed at the Comédie-Française in Paris.

In the 19th century, Louis Violet (1833-1891) was a French historian and archivist who specialized in the study of ancient French manuscripts and documents.

Another notable bearer was Fernand Violet (1886-1965), a French architect best known for his work on the renovation of the Louvre Museum in Paris.

While the surname Violet has its roots in England and France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with bearers in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Violet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Violet surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Surrey leads with 20 Violets recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.13x.

County Total Index
Surrey 20 7.13x
Middlesex 8 1.39x
Warwickshire 7 4.82x
Yorkshire 7 1.23x
Cheshire 3 2.36x
Devon 3 2.50x
Essex 2 1.76x
Somerset 2 2.16x
Sussex 2 2.06x
Channel Islands 1 5.87x
Gloucestershire 1 0.89x
Hampshire 1 0.85x
Lancashire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 14.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 9 Violets recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.94x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 9 17.94x
Aston 7 17.51x
Leeds 7 21.74x
Tooting Graveney 7 897.44x
Chester St Oswald 3 130.43x
Hornsey 3 41.21x
Stoke Newington London 3 66.96x
Streatham 2 46.84x
Bideford 1 78.13x
Brighton 1 5.11x
Chipping Campden 1 270.27x
Hampstead London 1 11.16x
Hastings St Mary 1 41.49x
Islington London 1 1.79x
Leyton Low 1 43.29x
Liverpool 1 2.41x
Newington 1 4.70x
Northwood 1 59.52x
Parkham 1 625.00x
Paulton 1 238.10x
Royal Navy 1 17.06x
Sible Hedingham 1 263.16x
St Helier 1 18.02x
Walcot 1 20.28x
Wandsworth 1 18.05x
Wear Gifford 1 1111.11x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Violet surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Emily 3
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Emma 2
Lucy 2
(Mrs) 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Hariet 1
Isoline 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Rebecca 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Violet surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Charles 4
George 4
Albert 2
James 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Christopher 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Gustave 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
John 1
Sidney 1
Victor 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Arthur 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Violet households.

FAQ

Violet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Violet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 57 people were recorded with the Violet surname. That placed it at #25,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Violet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Violet a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Violet surname mean?

A surname derived from the French flower name referring to the purple color.

What does the Violet map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Violet bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.