Vivian

Did you know?

A few things about Vivian you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Vivian

Vivian Cheruiyot

Kenyan long-distance runner

Choose Vivian and your child shares a first name with Vivian Cheruiyot, a Kenyan long-distance runner. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Vivian, like who?” Vivian Cheruiyot's Wikipedia article is available in 40 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Vivian Cheruiyot on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Agência Brasil Fotografias, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 478 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Vivian, 3,362 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Vivian.
• 📜HistoryVivian has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Vivians, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1920, when it reached #64.
• 📈Then vs nowVivian is 3.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,542 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 478.
• 🚀TrendVivian has climbed 31 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #70. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedVivian is most popular in Minnesota, where it ranks #19, followed by Iowa (#25) and South Dakota (#28). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Latin, Vivian means “alive”. Our records link it to French and Latin roots.

About the name Vivian

Vivian is a girl name of French and Latin origin meaning “alive”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with V and ending in “-ian”. US birth records list Vivian for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1920, when it ranked #64 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #70, with 3,362 babies.

Origin:French namesLatin names