Girl · #77 in 2026

Vivian

Vivian is a given name, and less often a surname, derived from a Latin name of the Roman Empire period, masculine Vivianus and feminine Viviana, which survived into modern use because it is the name of two early Christian female martyrs as well as of a male saint and bishop.

  • English
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
Current Rank
#77
Peak Rank
#64 (1920)
Total Babies
231K
5-Yr Trend
+2%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1920
Peak Year
#64
Peak Rank
231K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Vivian

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Vivian is a given name, and less often a surname, derived from a Latin name of the Roman Empire period, masculine Vivianus and feminine Viviana, which survived into modern use because it is the name of two early Christian female martyrs as well as of a male saint and bishop.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish

The Story of Vivian

American parents first put Vivian on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 22 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 4,128 Vivians were born — ranking #64 that year. As of 2026, Vivian ranks #77 for baby girls with 3,070 births, holding steady (+2%). All told, over 231K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Vivian

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Vivian. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Vivian

Phonetically similar names — useful when Vivian is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Vivian

What does the name Vivian mean?
Vivian is a given name, and less often a surname, derived from a Latin name of the Roman Empire period, masculine Vivianus and feminine Viviana, which survived into modern use because it is the name of two early Christian female martyrs as well as of a male saint and bishop.
What is the origin of the name Vivian?
Vivian has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish.
How popular is Vivian in 2026?
In 2026, Vivian ranks #77 among girls' names in the U.S., with 3,070 babies given the name that year.
When was Vivian most popular?
Vivian reached its peak popularity in 1920, ranking #64 that year with 4,128 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Vivian most popular?
Vivian has historically been most popular in Maine, Wyoming, Nevada. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Vivian.
Is Vivian a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Vivian is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Vivian?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Vivian include Marian, Roberta, Autumn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Vivian?
Common variants and related forms of Vivian include Vivi, Vivyan, Vyvyan. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Marian
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Roberta
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Autumn
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Vera
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Beth
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About the name Vivian

Vivian is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 231K births in the dataset. Vivian's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #64. Use the chart and map above to compare Vivian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.