Unisex name · Latin
Vivian
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: aliveVivian is a gender-neutral name that comes from Latin and means "alive". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Alive
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #72 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Vivian
As a gender-neutral name, Vivian comes from Latin and means "alive". It is used in English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Vivian on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Vivian on 2 lists.
“Alive; Latin, a man's name in the Middle Ages, now mostly a girl's”
From Gender neutral names, classic and vintage unisex names
“Alive; Latin. #64 in 1920 and #72 in 2025”
From Vintage girl names, old fashioned girl names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Vivian?
In 2025, 3,362 girls and 5 boys in the US were named Vivian.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #72
- 3,362 babies, 2,092 per million girls
- Best rank
- #64 in 1920
- 4,128 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 228,172
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 354 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 900 per million |
| 1900s | 1,646 per million |
| 1910s | 2,898 per million |
| 1920s | 3,060 per million |
| 1930s | 2,151 per million |
| 1940s | 1,582 per million |
| 1950s | 1,225 per million |
| 1960s | 767 per million |
| 1970s | 324 per million |
| 1980s | 242 per million |
| 1990s | 492 per million |
| 2000s | 795 per million |
| 2010s | 1,556 per million |
| 2020s | 1,782 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #95 | #97 | #96 | #96 | #101 | #101 | #104 | #87 | #77 | #72 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #13,778
- 5 babies, 3 per million boys
- Best rank
- #472 in 1898
- Most babies: 73 in 1919
- Babies since 1880
- At least 2,583
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 75 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 109 per million |
| 1900s | 114 per million |
| 1910s | 72 per million |
| 1920s | 54 per million |
| 1930s | 34 per million |
| 1940s | 17 per million |
| 1950s | 10 per million |
| 1960s | 5 per million |
| 1970s | 3 per million |
| 1980s | 3 per million |
| 1990s | 3 per million |
| 2000s | 1 per million |
| 2010s | 2 per million |
| 2020s | 1 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | – | – | #7,103 | – | – | – | #10,773 | – | – | #13,778 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Vivian
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Vivian
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- VihaanDawn, morning (Sanskrit, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AishaAlive, living (Arabic, girl)
- AmichaiMy people are alive (Hebrew, boy)
- AyşeAlive, living (Arabic, girl)
- NnamdiMy father is alive (Igbo, boy)
Middle names for Vivian
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- LeoA lion (Latin, boy)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- MaxThe greatest (Latin, boy)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- AdrianFrom Hadria (Latin, boy)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- DianaDivine, heavenly (Latin, girl)
- FelixLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
- JulianaFeminine form of Julian, from the Roman family name Julius (Latin, girl)
- LuciaLight, brightness (Latin, girl)
- MartinDedicated to Mars (Latin, boy)
Vivian: common questions
What does the name Vivian mean?
Vivian comes from Latin and means "alive". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Vivian a boy or girl name?
Vivian is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 3,362 girls and 5 boys in the US were named Vivian, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Vivian come from?
Vivian comes from Latin and means "alive". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Vivian?
Vivian ranked #72 in the US in 2025, with 3,362 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Vivian?
Forms of Vivian with the same meaning and origin include Viviana (Italian) and Vivienne (French).
What middle names go with Vivian?
Middle names that flow well with Vivian include Agnes, Alton, Ansel, Lily and Luna. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.