We have been aware for quite some time that we are not the only Violette family in North America. In fact, our genealogical database has six distinct families with one of those names! And there may be more. (Note: in this story the numbers shown as (Pnnnn) are the person IDs from that database. You can go to VioletteRegistry.com/FamilyTree and do searches using those numbers under Advanced Search and you will find the individual and can trace forward and backward in their tree.)

What’s in a name?

While our family spells the name as Violette, we know that our early ancestors spelled it Violet. At least that is how François’ (P6) name appeared in documents in 1790. The documents found regarding his ancestors in France also spelled the name as Violet. How, why, and when did it get changed?

All the children of François and Marie-Luce Thibodeau (P759) were named as Violet in the records. This spanned the period from 1770 through 1796. However, the children of François and Marie-Rose Cormier (P290) from 1803 through 1810 and the children of François and Genevieve Tardif (P296) from 1814 through 1818 all carried the last name Violette. The first two children of Augustin Violet (P277), François’ first son, and Elisabeth Cyr (P1855) carried the last name Violet (1799 through 1802) but the remainder (1804 through 1823) were named Violette. All the children of his other sons also were named Violette. From that we can see that the name was changed from Violet to Violette in the 1802-1804 period. Were those later children named differently or was it a matter of how their names were recorded?

Guy Dubay (P7519), co-author with Dave Violette (P5968) and me of A Violette History, available from Amazon, suggests that it is a cultural difference between the French and the Acadians. ‘I have a hunch that it is when the Acadian Violets ran into the Quebec missionaries. In Acadie we have Violet and Doucet, but in Madawaska we have Violette and Doucette. Why? Perhaps because in Quebec “et” is pronounced “ay” as in Bousquet which is pronounced as “Boos-kay” not “Bouskette”. When the Quebec French missionary at St. Basile de Madawaska heard the “t” pronounced in Violet and Doucet, he wrote Violette and Doucette, but in Bona Arsenault’s “Histoire de Genéalogie des Acadiens” it’s all Violet and Doucet.’

Remember that in those days the priests and dignitaries were the only ones who had much education and it was that group that kept the records.

So that explains our Violet/Violette family name.

Violet/Violette is also a feminine first name and is used in many cultures. Violeta (Bulgarian), Viola (Czech), Viola (Danish), Violet (English), Violette (French), Viola (German), Ibolya, Viola, Violetta (Hungarian), Viola, Violetta (Italian), Violeta (Lithuanian), Violeta (Macedonian), Viola (Norwegian), Wiola, Wioleta, Wioletta (Polish), Violeta, Viorica (Romanian), Violetta (Russian), Violeta (Serbian), Violeta (Spanish), and Viola (Swedish) are just a few. Those spellings can easily be used as family names as well.

The Origin and Meaning of the Name

While there are various theories about the origin and meaning of our family name, the two most likely are related. Violet can refer to the flower or to the color of that flower.

A Second Violett Family

When Rita Violette Lippé (P654) was doing research on our Violette family in the 1970s, she came across a Violett family from Virginia. Upon further investigation it was determined that the roots of that family were from England. William Violett (P23409) came from England and was living on Kent Island, Maryland in 1668. His son Edward Violett Sr. (P40278) and grandson Edward Violett Jr. (P40280) were overseers on one of the farms on George Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation called “The Muddy Hole.” Their descendants reside today in Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and all the way out to the west coast.

Martin Violette (P67930) founded Violettes of Virginia, a group like our Violette Family Association. He was a guest speaker at our 2008 Reunion in Windsor Locks CT. He used to have a genealogical web site, but that site does not seem to be active now.

A Third Violette Family

Many years ago, Alderic O. “Dick” Violette (P4680) was visiting an old Army buddy in Monroe City, Missouri when he learned of a famous person just a few towns away. Merritt Alexander “Dad” Violette (P38468) was a significant benefactor in Florida, Missouri, who saved the Mark Twain birthplace from being demolished. According to a newspaper story dated 5 June 1986, and a notation on his marriage certificate, his father Merritt Alexander Violette Sr. (P38465) was born in Alsace-Lorraine, France on 5 Oct 1812. He married Eliza Ann Damrell (P38466), 22 Sep 1837 in Monroe County, Missouri.

A Fourth Violet/Violette Family

While working on a Violette family from Barre, Vermont, I discovered another Violette family. My research eventually led me to Ora Violet (P68557), born 18 Oct 1849 in Lyman, New Hampshire. He was listed as the adopted son of Robert Violet (P68563), who was born in England about 1814. Robert was married to Sarah A. Lyndes (P68564). They adopted Ora in 1859. Ora was the biological son of Leaber Andross and Elizabeth Cramm. Robert’s only other child was a girl, Hannah Lucretta (P68605), born in 1857. So, any Violet/Violette born in Vermont, descendant of Ora Violet is not related to us by blood.

A Fifth Violet/Violette Family

While searching through some old records, I came across an entry for Pierre Violet 1731-1805 (P48415). He was born in Ourches-sur-Meuse, Toul, Lorraine, France, which is in north-eastern France, completely across the country from our ancestral roots. Pierre and his wife, Angelique Harnois (P48416), had six children, all born in Quebec, including two sons Pierre (P82225) and Jean-Baptiste (P48420). Guy Dubay and I searched all the available records and could not find any progeny from those two sons.

A Sixth Violet/Violette Family

I recently came across another non-related Violet family. Nicolas Joseph Violet 1804-1883 (P82374) and his wife Marie Sophia Lorraine (P82533) were from Goux-les-Dambelin, Doubs, France, which is in eastern France, close to the Swiss border. They had nine children born in France and two in New York after immigrating to New York in 1843. The family settled in Croghan, Lewis Co., New York.  Nicolas died in Glencoe, Minnesota in 1883.

Summary

From this information, you can see that just because someone has a surname of Violet/Violett/Violette, they are not necessarily related to our family, who are the descendants of François Violet 1744-1822 of Van Buren, Maine.

Credits

Thanks to Guy Dubay (P7519), who contributed to this story and reviewed it in draft.

Thanks to David Violette (P5968), who helped edit the story, contributed the maps, and contributed some content.

Rod Violette (P34) is the author and genealogist.