Vivian
Vivian was the 72nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,362 babies. Its best year was 1920, when it ranked 64th with 4,128 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 23 places. More babies were named Vivian in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning alive, lively · Latin
Say it VIV-ee-uhn /ˈvɪviən/
- Rank in 2025
- #72 girls, up 29 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,362girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19204,128 babies
- Total since 1880
- 230,755babies recorded
What does the name Vivian mean?
Vivian comes from the Latin name Vivianus, with the feminine Viviana, which DMNES and Wiktionary derive from vivus, 'alive'. Wikipedia notes that it survived into modern use because it was borne by early Christian saints, both men and women. In medieval England Vivian was mainly a man's name; today it is used almost entirely for girls, alongside the French spellings Vivien and Vivienne.
Vīviānus (Latin, “Vivianus”)vīvus (Latin, “alive”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary marks the vivus derivation as 'probably'; DMNES gives it without qualification.
Related names: Vivienne, Vivien, Viviana, Vivi, Bibiana.
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. 'Vivian', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Vivian', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Vivian (personal name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Vivian
The usual nicknames for Vivian are Viv, Vivi and Vi. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Vivian in the last five years, fewer than 1 were named Vi, against 2 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viv · also for Viviana | Traditional | — | — |
| Vivi · also for Genevieve, Viviana | Modern | — | — |
| Vi · also for Violette, Violet, Violeta | Traditional | #14,813 | 50 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Vivians go by each one.
Vivian popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,583 since 1880, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #72 | 3,362 |
| 2020 | #101 | 2,705 |
| 2010 | #158 | 1,943 |
| 2000 | #272 | 1,178 |
| 1990 | #447 | 553 |
| 1980 | #498 | 409 |
| 1970 | #339 | 776 |
| 1960 | #188 | 2,022 |
| 1950 | #138 | 2,269 |
| 1940 | #115 | 2,261 |
| 1930 | #91 | 2,872 |
| 1920 | #64 | 4,128 |
| 1910 | #107 | 801 |
| 1900 | #152 | 383 |
| 1890 | #241 | 103 |
| 1880 | #351 | 22 |
How popular is Vivian, counting every spelling?
Vivian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #41 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #72 for Vivian on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,428 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivian | 3,362 | #72 | 14,635 |
| Vivienne | 1,786 | #172 | 6,796 |
| Vivien | 108 | #1,854 | 619 |
| Vivianne | 114 | #1,776 | 599 |
| Viviane | 23 | #5,544 | 124 |
| Viviann | 35 | #4,164 | 120 |
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 Vivian?
3,362 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Vivian (0.93 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Vivian 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 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Vivian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Vivian?
About 124,900 people born in the US named Vivian are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 11 and 69. That makes Vivian mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Vivian by state
How common Vivian was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (3.9×), Vermont (3.5×), Wyoming (3.4×), New Hampshire (3.2×), South Dakota (3.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, Florida, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Vivian: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Vivian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Vivian · Sibling names for Vivian
Questions about the name Vivian
What does Vivian mean?
Vivian means “alive, lively” (Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Vivian?
Vivian was the 72nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,362 babies. Its best year was 1920, when it ranked 64th with 4,128 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 23 places. More babies were named Vivian in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Vivian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Vivian in the US.
Where is Vivian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Vivian was most common in Maine (7.11 per 1,000 girls), followed by Vermont and Wyoming.