type of hat, 1887, American English, from "Fédora," a popular play by Victorien Sardou (1831-1908) that opened 1882, in which the heroine, a Russian princess named Fédora Romanoff, originally was performed by Sarah Bernhardt. During the play, Bernhardt, a notorious cross-dresser, wore a center-creased, soft brimmed hat. Women's-rights activists adopted the fashion. The proper name is Russian fem. of Fedor, from Greek Theodoros, literally "gift of god," from theos "god" (from PIE root *dhes-, forming words for religious concepts) + dōron "gift" (from PIE root *do- "to give").

"ornamental round tuft" (originally on a hat, etc.), 1897, an alteration of pompon "ornamental tuft; tuft-like flower head" (1748, pong-pong),  from French pompon (1725), a word of unknown origin; perhaps related to Old French pompe "pomp."

"fashionable knot in a woman's dress or hat," 1883; earlier "small, round, cream-filled pastry" (1706), from French chou, literally "cabbage" (12c.), from Latin caulis "cabbage," literally "stalk" (see cole (n.1)).

also red-cap, "porter at a railroad station," 1914, American English, from red (adj.1) + cap (n.). Earlier it was the name of the goldfinch, a type of domestic hen, a long-toothed spectre in Scottish castles, and anyone who wears a red hat (1540s).