FOR REAL: Norma was first coined by Alexandre Soumet (1788-1845) for his epic Norma, ossia L'infanticidio (Norma, or The Infanticide) which was Felice Romani turned into the libretto for Vincenzo Bellini's opera of the same name. In this tragic opera, Norma is a tormented Druid princess in love with a Roman proconsul who is faced with the decision to kill her own children. The role of Norma is considered the most difficult part for a soprano to sing in the entire opera repertoire.

Norma's popularity as a name caught on in English probably due to the fact that it makes a good feminine form of the name Norman. While the actual origins of the name aren't known, it's possible that Soumet was influenced by the Latin norma, meaning "rule."