How to say it
VIV · i · an
/ˈvɪv.i.ən/
Feminine
Vivian
Alive, lively
What it means
From Latin vivus, 'alive.' Saint Vivian was a 5th-century bishop; Vivien also appears in Arthurian legend as the Lady of the Lake.
Vivian comes from the Latin vivus, 'alive,' through the Roman name Vivianus. Saint Vivian was a 5th-century bishop of Saintes, and the name carried through medieval Christian Europe. The Vivien form appears in Arthurian legend as the Lady of the Lake who enchants Merlin. Vivian Leigh (Gone with the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire) and Vivian Maier (the rediscovered street photographer) gave the name 20th-century cultural anchors. It's been in the US top 200 since 2007. Viv is the standard short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #64 in 1920, currently #72 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
Two accepted forms: VIV-ee-an (three syllables, standard US) and VIV-yan (two syllables, more British). Either is correct.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Vivien Leigh British actress, Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
- Vivian Maier American street photographer, rediscovered posthumously
Spelling variants
- Vivien
- Vivienne
- Viviana
Names with the same feeling
See Vivian from another angle
By meaning
By style