From the medieval French name Yolande, which was possibly a form of the name Violante, which was itself a derivative of Latin viola "violet". Alternatively it could be of Germanic origin.This name was borne by a 12th-century empress of the Latin Empire in Constantinople, who was originally from Flanders. It was also used by her descendants in the royal families of Hungary (spelled Jolánta) and Spain (sometimes spelled Violante). The Blessed Yolanda of Poland was a daughter of Béla IV of Hungary who married a Polish duke. Another notable bearer was a 13th-century countess of Vianden in Luxembourg who joined a convent against her parents' wishes, later becoming the subject of medieval legend.
