girl's name
Vivienne
VIV-ee-en
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 30,134
the United States
#172
2025 births
Vivienne is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "alive" or "full of life." It is the French form of Vivian, from vivus, and in Arthurian legend Vivienne is the Lady of the Lake.
- Vivienne is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 1,786 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,856 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1895.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Vivienne over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 30 |
| 1900s | 92 |
| 1910s | 677 |
| 1920s | 669 |
| 1930s | 306 |
| 1940s | 312 |
| 1950s | 298 |
| 1960s | 206 |
| 1970s | 113 |
| 1980s | 110 |
| 1990s | 298 |
| 2000s | 1,569 |
| 2010s | 11,274 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,967 |
What Vivienne means
Vivienne means living, or lively. The Latin vivus means alive, so the name asserts vitality rather than describing a temperament — the root behind vivid, survive and revive.
Where Vivienne comes from
Vivienne is the French feminine of the Latin Vivianus, from vivus, alive. Saint Vivian was a fourth-century martyr, and the name was male before French use made the -enne form female. In Arthurian romance Vivienne — also Nimue or Niniane — is the Lady of the Lake, who gives Arthur the sword Excalibur and imprisons Merlin. Vivienne Westwood made the name a byword for British design from the 1970s. Vivien, with one n, is the older English spelling used by Vivien Leigh.
Vivienne in use
Our data shows Vivienne peaking in 2025 — still climbing — and it first appears in our records in 1895. It belongs with Evangeline, Genevieve and Aurelia in the current revival of long ornate names, and is among the few whose literary association is medieval rather than nineteenth-century.
How popular is Vivienne?
In 2025, Vivienne was given to 1,786 babies in the United States, ranking #172 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Vivienne is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Vivienne
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Vivienne also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Vivienne over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Vivienne
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Vivienne in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Vivienne
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Vivienne — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Vivienne
What does the name Vivienne mean?
Vivienne means "alive" or "full of life," from the Latin vivus.
Was Vivian originally a boy's name?
Yes — Saint Vivian was a fourth-century male martyr. French use made the -enne form female.
Who is Vivienne in Arthurian legend?
The Lady of the Lake, who gives Arthur the sword Excalibur and imprisons Merlin.
How popular is the name Vivienne?
In 2025, Vivienne was given to 1,786 babies in the United States, ranking #172 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Vivienne?
Vivienne has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Vivienne?
Vivienne is usually shortened to Viv and Vivi.
Is Vivienne a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Vivienne currently ranks #172 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.