Livia
Livia was the 820th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 332 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 667th; the most babies were born in 2018 (430). Over the last ten years it has moved down 96 places. More babies were named Livia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Roman family name (meaning uncertain) · Latin
Say it LIV-ee-uh /ˈlɪviə/
- Rank in 2025
- #820 girls, down 4 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 332girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2018430 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,236babies recorded
What does the name Livia mean?
Livia is the feminine form of Livius, the name of a Roman family (gens). Its origin is uncertain: it is often linked to Latin livor 'bluish color, envy' or lividus 'bluish', but DMNES and other references treat it as unexplained. The best-known bearer is Livia Drusilla, wife of the emperor Augustus. DMNES notes that, although Livia is now sometimes used as a short form of Olivia, the two names are unrelated.
Līvia (Latin, “feminine of the family name Livius”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The link to Latin livor 'bluish, envy' is a common guess, not established.
Other explanations you may read: Short form of Olivia.
Related names: Livvy, Olivia, Liviu.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Livia', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Livia', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Livia
The usual nicknames for Livia are Liv. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Livia in the last five years, 110 were named Liv, against 34 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liv · also for Olivia, Olive, Alivia | Modern | #896 | 1,835 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Livias go by each one.
Livia popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #820 | 332 |
| 2020 | #816 | 334 |
| 2010 | #831 | 324 |
| 2000 | #1,464 | 126 |
| 1990 | #4,794 | 20 |
| 1980 | #3,038 | 29 |
| 1970 | #3,375 | 19 |
| 1960 | #2,130 | 30 |
| 1950 | #2,498 | 17 |
| 1940 | #2,502 | 12 |
| 1930 | #2,375 | 14 |
| 1920 | #2,128 | 18 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Livia, counting every spelling?
Livia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #788 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #820 for Livia on its own. Together these spellings went to 346 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livia | 332 | #820 | 1,666 |
| Lyvia | 14 | #7,725 | 117 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Livia?
332 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Livia (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Livia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Livia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Livia?
About 9,600 people born in the US named Livia are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 8 and 22. That makes Livia mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Livia by state
How common Livia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (3.6×), Connecticut (3.0×), Minnesota (2.0×), New Jersey (2.0×), Oregon (1.9×). In 18 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Livia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Livia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Livia · Sibling names for Livia
Livia is also a nickname for Olivia.
Questions about the name Livia
What does Livia mean?
Livia is usually explained as “Roman family name (meaning uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Livia?
Livia was the 820th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 332 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 667th; the most babies were born in 2018 (430). Over the last ten years it has moved down 96 places. More babies were named Livia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Livia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Livia in the US.
Where is Livia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Livia was most common in Massachusetts (0.74 per 1,000 girls), followed by Connecticut and Minnesota.