Vivian
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Origin of the name Vivian:
Cognate of the French Vivien (alive), a male name derived from the Latin Vivianus, which has its root in vivus (alive). Although in Great Britain it is occasionally bestowed upon females, the alternate spelling Vivien is the more common female form. In Arthurian legend, Vivian was the name of the Lady of the Lake, an enchantress who was the mistress of Merlin.
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Reader Contributions
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- Comments and insights on the name Vivian: | Edit
- Personal experiences with the name Vivian: | Edit
My first name is Vivian. I hated it as a name growing up in the 1980s, it sounded so old and stuffy to me, compared to my friends who were all callled Kim, Tracey, Cindy, Ginger, Robin and other such cutesy names. I opted to go by my middle name instead, which is Alycia. Now, as an adult I love the name Vivian, and am very proud of it. I really wished I had toughed it out and used it as my name. It is elegant, and sophisticated. I would love to have the nickname "Viv" or "Vivie" both of which are so "now" as names.
My grandmother, whom I never met, was Adelaide Vivian. I hear she was a saint.
We named our daughter Vivian. It has been met with a warm reception. We use Viv for nickname occasionally.
- Nicknames for Vivian: | Edit
Viv
Vi
Vivi/Vivie
Viviana
Fi
Fifi
Nan
Van
Vivo
Ivy
Annie- Meanings and history of the name Vivian: | Edit
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- Famous real-life people named Vivian: | Edit
Vivian Dandridge (1921-1991), actress and singer, member of the singing trio the Dandridge Sisters
Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), born Vivian Hartley, Academy Award winning actress. When she became a professional actress, she changed the spelling of her first name on the advice that it would be more feminine with an "e". At the time, Vivian was a popular male name as well.
Vivian Vance, actress that played neighbor Ethel on "I Love Lucy"
Vivian Campbell (born 1962), heavy metal guitarist
Vivian Chow (born 1967), singer and actress from Hong Kong
Vivian Green (born 1980), R&B singer
Vivian Hsu (born 1975), singer, actress, and model from Taiwan
Vivian Richards (born 1952), cricketer and sports commentator
Vivian Stanshall (1943-1995), English comedic musician
Saint Bibiana (4th century), also known as Saint Vivian, Roman Virgin Martyr, patron saint of hangovers
Vivian Maier (1926–2009) American amateur street photographer- Vivian in song, story & screen: | Edit
Vivian Banks, character on the '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
Lady of the Lake, in Arthurian mythology, sometimes named Viviane
Vivian, a character from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Vivian was the name of call-girl, main character in the 1990 film Pretty Woman played by Julia Roberts
Vyvyan Basterd, a character on the 1980s British TV comedy The Young Ones
NameVoyager US Popularity of Vivian Over Time
NameMapper Current Popularity of Vivian by State
Global Popularity of the Name Vivian
- #196 in Canada (British Columbia)
- #207 in United States
- #292 in Canada (Alberta)
- #393 in Norway
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