Yolanda is a female given name from Western Europe and North America, derived from the Greek name ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'' meaning "Violet" (the flower). In German and Dutch the name is spoken similarly but traditionally spelled

Jolanda Jolanda or Jolande is a feminine given name. It is a Dutch, Italian, German and Swiss German cognate of Yolanda. A variant spelling is Jolande. Notable people named Jolanda or Jolande include: Jolanda *Jolanda Benvenuti (1908–1981), Italian fi ...

, and in Italian, Portuguese and Romanian

Iolanda Iolanda is a given name used in Italian, Portuguese and Romanian languages. Notable people with this name include: * Iolanda Balaș (1936–2016), Romanian Olympic athlete and high jumper * Iolanda Batallé (born 1971), Catalan writer * Ioland ...

. Yolonda is an African-American spelling of the name. Cognates are the Czech and Slovak

Jolantha Jolanta (or Jolantha) is a Czech, Lithuanian, Polish and Slovak form of the Greek name Iolanthe (disambiguation), Iolanthe. It is derived from Greek words ιολη (iole) "violet" and ανθος (anthos) "flower". Similar names also derived from I ...

and the Polish

Jolanta Jolanta (or Jolantha) is a Czech, Lithuanian, Polish and Slovak form of the Greek name Iolanthe. It is derived from Greek words ιολη (iole) "violet" and ανθος (anthos) "flower". Similar names also derived from Iolanthe are Yolande, Jola ...

. Notable people and characters named Yolanda include:

Yolanda

Yolanda of Flanders Yolanda of Hainault (; 1175 – August 1219), often called Yolanda of Flanders, was Empress of the Latin Empire in Constantinople, first as the wife of Peter II of Courtenay, Emperor Peter from 1216 to 1217 and thereafter as regent until her de ...

(1175–1219), ruler of the Latin Empire in Constantinople *

Yolanda of Vianden Mother (religious title), Mother Yolanda (or Yolande, Iolanda) of Vianden, Dominican Order, O.P., (1231–1283) was the youngest daughter of Count Counts of Vianden, Henry I of Vianden and Margaret, Marchioness of Namur. She joined the dominican or ...

(1231–1283), prioress of Marienthal, Luxembourg, granddaughter of the former * Yolanda (or Violant) of Hungary (1215–1253), queen consort of James I of Aragon * Yolanda of Hungary (1235–1298), daughter of Béla IV of Hungary, niece of the former * Yolanda of Savoy (1901–1986), Italian princess * Yolanda, an alias of Symbionese Liberation Army member

Emily Harris Emily Harris (born February 11, 1947, as Emily Montague Schwartz) was, along with her husband William Harris (b. 1945), a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), an American left-wing terrorist group involved in murder, kidnapping, and ...

Yolanda Adams Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albu ...

(born 1961), American gospel singer *

Yolanda Andrade Yolanda Josefina Andrade Gómez (born 28 December 1970) is a Mexican actress and television presenter born in Culiacán, Sinaloa. She started her career at the telenovela ''Yo no creo en los hombres'' (1991), along with Gabriela Roel and Alfr ...

, Mexican photographer *

(born 1970), Mexican television personality * Yolanda Bako (born 1946), American activist against domestic violence *

Yolanda Bejarano Yolanda Bejarano (born ) is an American labor union organizer who served as the chair of the Arizona Democratic Party from 2023 to 2025. She was a field director of the Communications Workers of America. Life Bejarano was born in and raised i ...

(born 1974/1975), American union organizer *

YolanDa Brown YolanDa Faye Brown (born 4 October 1982) is a British saxophonist, composer, and broadcaster. Her musical sound is a fusion of reggae, jazz and soul. In 2022 she was appointed chair of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Early life and ...

(born 1982), British saxophonist *

Yolanda Brown YolanDa Faye Brown (born 4 October 1982) is a British saxophonist, composer, and broadcaster. Her musical sound is a fusion of reggae, jazz and soul. In 2022 she was appointed chair of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Early life and ...

, American singer *

Yolanda Bonnell Yolanda Bonnell is a Canadian actress and playwright. She is most noted for her play ''Bug'', which was a Governor General's Award nominee for English-language drama at the 2020 Governor General's Awards. Early life and education An Anishina ...

(born 1965), Canadian actress and playwright * Yolanda Cabrera (born 1959), Mexican artist * Yolanda Caballero (born 1982), Colombian long-distance runner * Yolanda Carenzo (1902–1968), Argentinian pianist * Yolanda Casazza (1908–1995), American dancer of the Veloz and Yolanda ballroom dancing team *

Yolanda Charles Yolande Christina Charles is a British musician. She has played bass guitar with Paul Weller, David A. Stewart, Robbie Williams, Mick Jagger, The Waterboys, Hans Zimmer and from July 2017 through early 2020 she was a member of Squeeze. Charle ...

, British musician *

Yolanda Chen Yolanda Chen (; born July 26, 1961, in Moscow) is a retired Russian athlete. She started as a pentathlete, but decided to specialize in long jump. In 1988, she achieved a personal best of 7.16 metres, a good result, but from 1992 she switched to ...

(born 1961), Russian athlete *

Yolanda Ciani Yolanda Ciani (25 January 1938 3 September 2023) was a Mexican actress. Her most notable film appearances were in the movies ''San Simón de los Magüeyes'' (1972) and ''La trenza'' (1975). Biography and career Ciani was born in 1938 in Ch ...

(1938–2023), Mexican actress * Yolanda Cuomo, American artist, educator, and art director *

Yolanda Díaz Yolanda Díaz Pérez (; born 6 May 1971) is a Spanish politician and labour lawyer, currently serving as Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, Second Deputy Prime Minister since 2021, and Ministry of Labour (Spain), Minister of Labour and Socia ...

(born 1971), Spanish politician *

Yolanda Foster Yolanda Hadid ( ; ; formerly Foster; born ) is a Dutch-born American television personality and former model. She is best known as a star of the American reality-television show ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills''. She is the mother of IMG ...

(born 1964), Dutch American television personality * Yolanda George-David, Nigerian medical doctor *

Yolanda Griffith Yolanda Evette Griffith (born March 1, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball League (1996–1998), ABL and WNBA. An eight time WNBA All-Star, she was named the 1999 WNBA MVP and the W ...

(born 1970), American basketballer *

Yolanda Hadid Yolanda Hadid ( ; ; formerly Foster; born ) is a Dutch-born American television personality and former model. She is best known as a star of the American reality-television show ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills''. She is the mother of IMG ...

(born 1964), American television personality and model *

Yolanda Hamilton (footballer) Yolanda Hamilton (born 26 May 1987) is a Jamaican women's international footballer who played as a defender for the Jamaica women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship The 2014 CONCACAF Wo ...

(born 1987), Jamaican footballer * Yolanda van Heezik, New Zealand professor of zoology *

Yolanda Henry Yolanda Henry (born December 2, 1964) is a retired American track and field athlete who specialized in the high jump. She represented her country at one outdoor and four indoor World Championships. In addition she won the silver at the 1990 Goodwi ...

(born 1964), American track and field athlete who specialized in the high jump * Yolanda Jones (born 1984), Puerto Rican basketballer * Yolanda Khanyile (born 2005), South African Creative and Genius *

Yolanda King Yolanda Denise King (November 17, 1955 – May 15, 2007) was an American activist and campaigner for African-American rights and first-born child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, who pursued artistic and ent ...

(1955–2007), oldest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King * Yolanda Klug (born 1995/1996), missing German who disappeared in 2019 *

Yolanda Kondonassis Yolanda Kondonassis (born 1963 in Norman, Oklahoma, United States) is an American classical harpist. She is considered one of the world's premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today's most recorded classical harpist. Kondonassis attend ...

(born 1963), American classical harpist * Yolanda Marculescu (1923–1992), Romanian opera singer *

Yolanda Martín Yolanda Martin Franco (born February 16, 1954, in Guipúzcoa) is a boccia player from Spain. She has cerebral palsy and is a BC3 type athlete. She works as an administrator. She competed at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. She finished second in t ...

(born 1954), Spanish boccia player * Yolanda McClean, Canadian library technician and trade unionist * Yolanda Mero-Irion (1887–1963), Hungarian-American pianist, opera and theatre impresario, and philanthropist * Yolanda Mohalyi (1909–1978), Hungarian-born Brazilian painter and stained glass artist *

Yolanda Moore Yolanda Moore (born July 1, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. She was the post game radio analyst for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2007. College playing career Moore played basketball at University of Mississippi and was a ...

(born 1974), American basketballer and post-game radio analyst * Yolanda Murphy (1925–2016), American cultural anthropologist, co-author of ''Women of the Forest'' *

Yolanda Ortíz (diver) Yolanda Ortíz Espinosa (born October 26, 1978) is a female diver from Cuba. She represented her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2000 (at Sydney, Australia). She won a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Game ...

(born 1978), Cuban diver * Yolanda Panek (1974–1995), American murder victim *

Yolanda Pantin Yolanda Pantin (born 1954) is a Venezuelan author who has mainly written poetry, although she has also worked in children's literature. Early life and education Born in Caracas, the eldest of eleven siblings, she spent her childhood in Turmero, A ...

(born 1954), Venezuelan poet and children's writer * Yolanda Quijano (born 1933), Mexican painter and sculptor *

Yolanda Hill Robinson Yolanda Dechelle Hill Robinson (born 1968) is an American accountant and non-profit executive. As the wife of Former Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, she served as the Second Lady of North Carolina from 2021 to 2025 and was the first African-Am ...

, Second Lady of North Carolina *

Yolanda Saldívar Yolanda Saldívar () (born September 19, 1960) is an American former nurse who murdered singer Selena in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 31, 1995. Saldívar had been the president of Selena's fan club and the manager of her boutiques, but she lo ...

(born 1960), American convicted murderer *

Yolanda Soares Yolanda Soares is a Portuguese soprano singer, songwriter and "crossover" solo artist. Soares' performances are operatic productions which blend pop arrangements and classical vocals, most notably fado. Early life and career Soares was born in L ...

(born 1961), Portuguese singer and songwriter *

Yolanda Sonnabend Yolanda Paulina Tamara Sonnabend (26 March 1935 – 9 November 2015) was a British theatre and ballet designer and painter, primarily of portraits. Early life Sonnabend was born in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) the younger c ...

(1935–2015), British theatre and ballet designer and painter * Yolanda Tortolero (died 2021), Venezuelan politician * Yolanda Toussieng (born 1949), makeup artist * Yolanda Vega (presenter) (born 1955), American television presenter. Notably New York State Lottery 1990-2022

Fictional characters

* Yolanda (''Black Lagoon'') * Yolanda Hamilton (''The Young and the Restless'') *

Yolanda Montez Wildcat (Yolanda Montez) is a fictional superheroine in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC universe. She first appeared in ''Infinity, Inc.'' #12 (March 1985), and was created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Don Newton. Yolanda Montez was the se ...

, DC Comics' Wildcat * Yolanda, a character in Quentin Tarantino's ''

Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...

Yolanda

Fictional characters

See also