Vivian (and variants such as Vivien and Vivienne) is a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

, and less often a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

, derived from a Latin name of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

period, masculine ''

Vivianus Vivianus is a masculine given name which may refer to: * Vivianus (jurist), second century Roman jurist * Flavius Antoninus Messala Vivianus, a Roman politician and consul in 463 * Saint Vivianus (died c. 490), French saint and first known bisho ...

'' 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.

History and variants

The Latin name

is recorded from the 1st century. It is ultimately related to the adjective ''vivus'' "alive", but it is formed from the compound form ''vivi-'' and the adjectival suffix used to form ''

cognomina A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...

''. The latinate given name Vivianus was of limited popularity in the medieval period in reference to

Saint Vivianus Vivianus (also Bibianus; died c. 490) was an early saint of the French (Francian) church and the first known bishop of Saintes The former French diocese of Saintes existed from the 6th century to the French Revolution. Its bishops had their se ...

, a 5th-century

bishop of Saintes The former French diocese of Saintes existed from the 6th century to the French Revolution. Its bishops had their see in the cathedral of Saintes in western France, in the modern department of Charente-Maritime. After the Concordat of 1801, the ...

; the feminine name was that of Saint Viviana (Bibiana), a 4th-century martyr whose veneration in Rome is ascertained for the 5th century. In

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...

, Vivian in its various spellings is one of the names of the

Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...

. The name was brought to England with the Norman invasion, and is occasionally recorded in England in the 12th and 13th centuries. The masculine given name appears with greater frequency in the early modern period. The spelling Vivian was historically used only as a masculine name, and is still used as such in the UK with this spelling, but in the 19th century was also given to girls and was a

unisex name A unisex name (also known as an epicene name, a gender-neutral name or an androgynous name) is a given name that is not gender-specific. Unisex names are common in the English-speaking world, especially in the United States. By contrast, some c ...

until the early part of the 20th century; since the mid 20th century, it has been almost exclusively given as a feminine name in the United States. Use of Vivian as a feminine name peaked in popularity in the United States in 1920 at rank 64, but declined in the second half of the 20th century, falling below rank 500 in the 1980s. Its popularity has again picked up somewhat since the 1990s, as of 2012 having attained rank 140. Variants of the feminine name include Viviana, Viviane, and Vivienne. The French feminine spelling Vivienne in the United States rose sharply in recent years from below rank 1,000 (no statistical record) to rank 322 in the period 2009–2012. The Italian or Latin form ''Viviana'' has enjoyed some popularity since the 1990s, reaching rank 322 in 2000. The spelling Vivien is the French masculine form, but in English speaking countries it has long been used as a feminine form, due to its appearance as the name of the

Arthurian King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a Legend, legendary king of Great Britain, Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest tradition ...

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

's ''

Idylls of the King ''Idylls of the King'', published between 1859 and 1885, is a Literature cycle, cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892; Poet Laureate from 1850) which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knig ...

'' of 1859."Vivien" at Behind the Name
/ref> For the masculine name, the variant Vyvyan has sometimes been used, based on the Cornish surname itself derived from the given name. The intermediary form Vyvian is also occasionally found. The Gaelic name

Ninian Ninian is a Christian saint, first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedication ...

has sometimes been identified as a corruption of Vivian, but it is now considered more likely derived from Welsh Nynniaw, which is itself of uncertain origin, but likely renders

Nennius Nennius – or Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk of the 9th century. He has traditionally been attributed with the authorship of the ''Historia Brittonum'', based on the prologue affixed to that work. This attribution is widely considered ...

. Bébinn is an unrelated, genuinely Gaelic name which has on occasion been rendered as Vivian in English.

As a surname

The given name ''Vivian'' was introduced to

Norman England England in the High Middle Ages includes the history of England between the Norman Conquest in 1066 and the death of King John, considered by some to be the last of the Angevin kings of England, in 1216. A disputed succession and victory at the ...

in the 11th or 12th century and over time gave rise to a variety of British surnames, including Videan, Vidgen, Vidgeon, Fiddian, Fidgeon, Phythian, Phethean. The

Vyvyan family : ''For the Vivian family of Glynn and Truro, Cornwall, see Baron Vivian.'' The Vyvyans are a prominent Cornish family who were members of Parliament, baronets, and landowners in Penwith and Kerrier since the 15th century. The Vyvyan family ...

has been a prominent family of Cornwall since the 16th century. The Vyvyan baronetcy was created in the

Baronetage of England Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James I ...

for Sir Richard Vyvyan in 1645.

Baron Vivian Baron Vivian, of Glynn and of Truro in the County of Cornwall, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and held by a branch of the Vivian family. It was created on 19 August 1841 for the soldier Sir Hussey Vivian, 1st Baronet. He ha ...

was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1841. Notable bearers of the surname include: *

C. T. Vivian Cordy Tindell Vivian (July 30, 1924July 17, 2020) was an American minister, author, and close friend and lieutenant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement. Vivian resided in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded the C. T. Vivian Lead ...

(1924–2020), American minister and author *

Herbert Vivian Herbert Vivian (3 April 1865 – 18 April 1940) was an English journalist, author and newspaper owner, who befriended Lord Randolph Churchill, Charles Russell, Leopold Maxse and others in the 1880s. He campaigned for Irish Home Rule and was pr ...

(1865-1940), British journalist and leader of the

Neo-Jacobite Revival The Neo-Jacobite Revival was a political movement that took place during the 25 years before the First World War in the United Kingdom. The movement was monarchist, and had the specific aim of replacing British parliamentary democracy with a restor ...

Ivor Vivian Ivor Francis Vivian (born 1932) is a former Australian politician. Vivian was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, England in 1932. From 1969 to 1998, he was the foundation principal lecturer in mathematics at the Canberra College of Advanced Education, ...

(born 1933), Australian politician *

Jennifer Vyvyan Jennifer Vyvyan (13 March 1925 – 5 April 1974) was a British classical soprano who had an active international career in operas, concerts, and recitals from 1948 up until her death in 1974. She possessed a beautifully clear, steady voice with ...

(1925-1974) English classical soprano singer *

John Lambrick Vivian Lieutenant-Colonel John Lambrick Vivian (1830–1896), Inspector of Militia and Her Majesty's Superintendent of Police and Police Magistrate for St Kitts, West Indies, was an English genealogist and historian. He edited editions of the Heraldic Vis ...

(1830–1896), genealogist of Devon and Cornwall *

Joseph Vivien Joseph Vivien (1657 – 5 December 1735) was a French painter from Lyon. He left Lyon for Paris at the age of twenty and found employment in the large atelier of Charles Le Brun, the equivalent of an academy. He made his reputation with his por ...

(1657–1735), French painter *

Renée Vivien Renée Vivien (born Pauline Mary Tarn; 11 June 1877 – 18 November 1909) was a British poet who wrote in French, in the style of the Symbolistes and the Parnassiens. A high-profile lesbian in the Paris of the Belle Époque, she is notable for he ...

(1877–1909), British poet in the French language *

Weston E. Vivian Weston "Wes" Edward Vivian (October 25, 1924 – December 4, 2020) was an American World War II veteran, electrical engineer and politician from the state of Michigan. He served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967. ...

(1924–2020), American politician *

William Vyvyan William Vyvyan (floruit, fl. 1325), was an English Member of Parliament (MP). He was a Member of the Parliament of England for New Shoreham (UK Parliament constituency), New Shoreham in 1325. References

Year of birth missing 14th-cen ...

, 14th-century English MP

List of individuals with the name

Masculine given name

Vivian

* Vivian Anderson (born 1956), English football coach and defender *

Vivian Balakrishnan Vivian Balakrishnan ( ta, விவியன் பாலகிருஷ்ணன்; born 1961) is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former ophthalmologist who has been serving in the Cabinet as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A m ...

(born 1961), Singaporean politician *

Vivian Bendall Vivian Walter Hough Bendall (born 14 December 1938) is a British Conservative politician and estate agent. After gaining Ilford North at the 1978 by-election he served as the constituency's Member of Parliament until his defeat in 1997. Bendall ...

(born 1938), English Conservative politician *

Vivian Blake Vivian Blake (11 May 1956 – 21 March 2010) was a Jamaican drug kingpin who founded and operated the American operations of the Jamaican Shower Posse. Background Blake was born to a poor family in West Kingston, but was granted a scholars ...

(1956–2010), Jamaican criminal *

Vivian Blake (politician) Vivian O. Blake Queen's Counsel, QC (15 March 1921 – 28 December 2000) was a Jamaican lawyer and politician. He served as president of the Jamaican Bar Association and chairman of the Bar Council's Disciplinary Committee, and became chief justi ...

(1921–2000), Jamaican politician and chief justice of the Bahamas *

Vivian Bose Justice Vivian Bose (also rendered V. V. N. Bose) (9 June 1891 – 29 November 1983), Judge of the Supreme Court of India, served as the National Commissioner of the Bharat Scouts and Guides from November 1957 to November 1959. Scouting for ...

(1891–1983), judge of the Supreme Court of India * Vivian de Buffrénil (born 1950), French histologist and palaeobiologist *

Vivian Campbell Vivian Patrick Campbell (born 25 August 1962) is a Northern Irish guitarist. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as a member of Dio (band), Dio, and has been a member of Def Leppard since 1992 (replacing Steve Clark after his death). Camp ...

(born 1962), Northern Irish heavy metal guitarist * Vivian Cook (linguist) (born 1940), English linguist and professor of Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University *

Vivian Crawford Vivian Frank Shergold Crawford (11 April 1879 – 21 August 1922) was an English cricketer who played as a right-handed batsman and an occasional right-arm fast bowler in first-class cricket for Surrey and Leicestershire between 1896 and 1910. ...

(1879–1922), English first-class cricketer *

Vivian Dsena Vivian Dsena (born 28 June 1988) is an Indian television actor known for his portrayal of Abhay Raichand in ''Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahani'', Rishabh Kundra in ''Madhubala - Ek Ishq Ek Junoon'' and Harman Singh in ''Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki''. ...

(born 1988), Indian TV actor *

Vivian Ellis Vivian John Herman Ellis, CBE (29 October 1903 – 19 June 1996) was an English musical comedy composer best known for the song "Spread a Little Happiness" and the theme " Coronation Scot". Life and work Ellis was born in Hampstead, London in 1 ...

(1904–1996), English musical comedy composer *

Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons, born in Pietermaritzburg, was a notable herpetologist in South Africa. Also, he contributed to the collection of spermatophyte samples for the National Herbarium which has become part of the South African Nati ...

(1901–1975), South African herpetologist * Sir

Vivian Fuchs Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs ( ; 11 February 1908 – 11 November 1999) was an English scientist-explorer and expedition organizer. He led the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition which reached the South Pole overland in 1958. Biography Fuchs ...

(1908–1999), English explorer to first cross Antarctica overland *

Vivian Hunter Galbraith Vivian Hunter Galbraith (15 December 1889 – 25 November 1976) was an English historian, fellow of the British Academy and Oxford Regius Professor of Modern History. Early career Galbraith was born in Sheffield, son of David Galbraith, ...

(1889–1976), English historian and Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford University, Oxford * Vivian H. H. Green (1915–2005), rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, and inspiration for John le Carré's character George Smiley *

Vivian Harris Ivan Vivian Harris (born June 17, 1978) is a Guyanese former professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2018. He held the WBA super lightweight title from 2002 to 2005. Amateur career After Harris arrived in the U.S., he began his amateur ...

(born 1978), Guyanese boxer * Vivian Wilson Henderson (1923–1976), American educator and human rights activist *

Vivian Imerman Vivian Saul Imerman (born 21 September 1955) is a South-African born businessman and former CEO of Del Monte International and Whyte and Mackay. He was nicknamed 'The Man from Del Monte.'Vivian Jackson Vivian Jackson (14 August 1946 – 12 January 2010), better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae vocalist and record producer, producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work ...

(1946–2010), Jamaican reggae musician also known as Yabby You * Clive Vivian Leopold James (Clive James, 1939–2019), Australian author *

Sir Vivian Naylor-Leyland, 3rd Baronet Sir Vivyan (or Vyvian) Edward Naylor-Leyland, 3rd Baronet (1924-1987) was a British aristocrat and banker. Biography Early life Vivian Edward Naylor-Leyland was born on 5 March 1924. urke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol ...

(1924–1987), British aristocrat and banker *

Viv Richards Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (born 7 March 1952) is an Antiguan retired cricketer who represented the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991. Batting generally at number three in a dominant West Indies side, Richards is widely ...

(born 1952), Antiguan cricketer and sports commentator * Vivian Roy Stanley Schokman (1887-1953), Sri Lankan

Burgher Burgher may refer to: * Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn ** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain ** Grand Bu ...

politician and physician * Major General

Vivian Street Vivian Street is a mostly one-way arterial road in central Wellington, New Zealand. It forms a part of the country's State Highway 1 network. Since March 2007, Vivian Street's one-way direction has flowed east-bound, following the completion ...

(1912–1970), British army officer, also known for his charitable work, particularly as chairman of the

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

fund *

Vivian Van Damm Vivian Van Damm (28 June 1889 – 14 December 1960) was a prominent British theatre impresario from 1932 until 1960, managing the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street. The theatre was famed for its pioneering ''tableaux vivants'' o ...

(1895–1960), English impresario of the Windmill Theatre, London * Vivian Wineman (born 1950), commercial lawyer, president of the

Board of Deputies of British Jews The Board of Deputies of British Jews, commonly referred to as the Board of Deputies, is the largest and second oldest Jewish communal organisation in the United Kingdom, after only the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established ...

2009–2015 *

Vivian Woodward Vivian John Woodward (3 June 1879 – 31 January 1954) was an English footballer who enjoyed the peak of his career from the turn of the 20th century to the outbreak of the First World War. He played for Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. He capta ...

(1879–1954), English centre forward footballer

Vivien

Vivien Thomas Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an American laboratory supervisor who developed a procedure used to treat blue baby syndrome (now known as cyanotic heart disease) in the 1940s. He was the assistant to surgeon ...

(1910–1985), American surgical technician

Vyvyan

Vyvyan Adams Samuel Vyvyan Trerice Adams (22 April 1900 – 13 August 1951), known as Vyvyan Adams, was a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds West from 1931'' The International Who's Who 1943-44''. 8th edition ...

(1900–1951), British Conservative Party politician *

Vyvyan Donnithorne The Venerable Vyvyan Henry Donnithorne, MC, MA (8 January 1886 – 12 December 1968) was Archdeacon of Western Szechwan from 1935 to 1949. Biography Vyvyan Donnithorne was of Cornish descent. He was educated at Christ's Hospital, Clare Col ...

(1886–1968), British Anglican missionary to China *

Vyvyan Evans Vyvyan Evans (born ) is a British cognitive linguist, digital communication technologist, popular science author, science fiction author and public intellectual. He has published fifteen books, both non-fiction and fiction. He holds a Ph.D. in ...

, professor of Linguistics *

Vyvyan Evelegh Major General Vyvyan Evelegh, (14 December 1898 – 27 August 1958) was a senior officer of the British Army during the Second World War, commanding the 78th Infantry Division (otherwise known as the Battleaxe Division) and the 6th Armoured Di ...

(1898–1958), British Army Second World War major-general *

Vyvyan Holland Vyvyan Beresford Holland, (born Vyvyan Oscar Beresford Wilde; 3 November 1886 – 10 October 1967) was an English author and translator. He was the second-born son of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde and Constance Lloyd, and had a brother, Cyril. ...

(1886–1967), English author/translator, second son of Oscar Wilde *

Vyvyan Holt Captain Sir Vyvyan Holt (1896 – 2 July 1960) was a British soldier, diplomat, and Oriental scholar, who was held captive by North Korea for nearly three years during the Korean War. Biography Born in London in 1896, the son of Teresa and Ar ...

(1896–1960), British soldier, diplomat, and Oriental scholar *

Vyvyan Pope Lieutenant-General Vyvyan Vavasour Pope CBE DSO MC & Bar (30 September 1891 – 5 October 1941) was a senior British Army officer who was prominent in developing ideas about the use of armour in battle in the interwar years, and who briefly ...

(1891–1941), British Army Second World War lieutenant-general

Vyvian

* Vyvian Pike (born 1969), English cricketer

Stage name or nickname

*"Vivian", a nickname given to

Chaim Herzog Major-General Chaim Herzog ( he, חיים הרצוג; 17 September 1918 – 17 April 1997) was an Irish-born Israeli politician, general, lawyer and author who served as the sixth President of Israel between 1983 and 1993. Born in Belfast and ...

in the 1940s *

Vivian Stanshall Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall; 21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his exploration of the British upper ...

, stage name of Victor Anthony Stanshall (1943–1995), English comedic musician *

The Vivienne James Lee Williams (born 12 April 1992), better known by the stage name The Vivienne, is a Welsh drag queen, known for being appointed the first UK ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' ambassador in 2015, winning the first series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race U ...

, stage name of James Lee Williams, British drag queen

Feminine given name

Late antiquity

The spelling of these names may differ depending on tradition. *

Saint Vibiana Vibiana is a third-century virgin martyr of the Roman Catholic Church. She is the patroness of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Her liturgical feast day is 1 September. The remains of Vibiana were rediscovered on December 9, 1853, in ancient cat ...

(3rd century) * Saint Vivian (4th century)

Vivian

Vivian Inez Archibald Vivian Inez Archibald CBE (born 1 February 1945) is a British Virgin Islander politician and businesswoman who has served as the Deputy Governor of the British Virgin Islands since September 2008. On 21 August 2008, Meg Munn, who held the Briti ...

(born 1945), British Virgin Islander politician *

Vivian Bang Vivian may refer to: *Vivian (name), a given name and also a surname Toponyms * Vivian, Louisiana, U.S. * Vivian, South Dakota, U.S. * Vivian, West Virginia, U.S. * Vivian Island, Nunavut, Canada * Ballantrae, Ontario, a hamlet in Stouffville, ...

(born 1983), American actress *

Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot (born 11 September 1983) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in track and cross country running. She represented Kenya at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning a silver medal at the 5 ...

(born 1983), Kenyan long-distance runner * Vivian Chukwuemeka (born 1975), Nigerian shot putter *

Vivian Dandridge Vivian Alferetta Dandridge (April 22, 1921 – October 26, 1991) was an American singer, actress and dancer. Dandridge is best known for being the older sister of actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge and the daughter of actress Ruby Dandridge. ...

(1921–1991), American actress * Vivian Flowers (born c. 1969), American politician *

Vivian Gornick Vivian Gornick (born June 14, 1935) is an American radical feminist critic, journalist, essayist, and memoirist. Early Life and Education In 1957 Gornick received a bachelor of arts degree from City College of New York and in 1960 a master of a ...

(born 1935), American author *

Vivian Green Vivian Sakiyyah Green (born May 22, 1979) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and pianist. Early life Green was born May 22, 1979 in the East Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia, and took an interest in singing, playing the piano, and ...

(born 1979), American R&B singer *

Vivi Janiss Vivi may refer to: People * Vivi Bach (1939–2013), Danish actress and singer * Vivi Fernandez (born 1977), Brazilian model * Vivi Flindt (born 1943), Danish ballerina * Vivi Friedman (1967–2012), Finnish film director * Vivi Gioi (1917–19 ...

(1911–1988), American actress *

Vivian Joseph Vivian Joseph (born March 7, 1948) is an American former pair skater who competed with her brother, Ronald Joseph. They are the 1964 Olympic bronze medalists, 1965 World silver medalists, and 1965 North American champions. Personal life Viv ...

(born 1948), American figure skater *

Vivian Kong Vivian Kong Man Wai (born 8 February 1994) is a Hong Kong left-handed épée Fencing, fencer, three-time individual Asian champion, and two-time Olympic Games, Olympian. Career Kong competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2016 Rio de Janeiro O ...

(born 1994), Hong Kong fencer *

Vivian Kubrick Vivian Vanessa Kubrick (born August 5, 1960), also credited under the pseudonym Abigail Mead, is an American-British filmmaker and composer. She is the daughter of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Early life Vivian Vanessa Kubrick was born on August ...

(born 1960), American-born English filmmaker and composer *

Vivian Maier Vivian Dorothy Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American street photographer whose work was discovered and recognized after her death. She worked for about 40 years as a nanny, mostly in Chicago's North Shore, while pursuing ...

(1926–2009), American photographer * Vivian Nouri known professionally as NOURI (born 1993), New Zealand recording artist of Kurdish descent *

Vivian Oparah Vivian Nneka O. Oparah (born 30 December 1996) is a British actress and musician. She is known for her work in theatre, earning an Off West End Award nomination, and her roles in the BBC Three ''Doctor Who'' spin-off ''Class'' (2016) and the film ...

(born 1996), British actress *

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...

(1909–1979), American actress

Vivien

Vivien Bishop Vivien C. Bishop (born 1945) is a New Zealand artist. Her works are held in the collections of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Background Vivien Bishop was born in 1945 in Christchurch, New ...

(born 1945), New Zealand painter *

Vivien Cardone Vivien Elisabeth Cardone (born April 14, 1993) is an American actress, known for her role as Doctor Brown's daughter Delia on The WB's ''Everwood'' from 2002 to 2006. She has appeared in '' One Life to Live'' (2011), ''Theater, Interrupted'' (2020 ...

(born 1993), American actress *

Vivien Duffield Dame Vivien Louise Duffield, (née Clore; born 26 March 1946) is an English philanthropist. Life and career Vivien Louise Clore was born to Jewish parents. Her father was millionaire businessman and philanthropist Sir Charles Clore and her m ...

(born 1946), British philanthropist * Vivien Hailstone (1913–2000), Native American designer and educator * Vivien Kirk, New Zealand mathematician *

Vivien Knight Vivien Margaret Knight (9 November 1953 – 18 December 2009), was a British art historian and gallerist, and the head of the Guildhall Art Gallery, from 1983 until her death. Early life Knight was born on 9 November 1953, at Solihull Hospital, ...

(1953–2009), British art historian and gallerist *

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

, born Vivian Mary Hartley (1913–1967), English Academy Award-winning actress *

Vivien Neves Vivien Elizabeth Neves (20 November 1947 – 29 December 2002) was a British glamour model, best known for appearing naked in ''The Times'' broadsheet newspaper in 1971, and for her regular appearances on Page 3 of the tabloid newspaper ''The Sun' ...

(1947–2002), British glamour model *

(1910–1985), American laboratory supervisor

Viviane

Viv Albertine Viviane Katrina Louise Albertine (born 1 December 1954) is an Australian-born British musician, singer, songwriter and writer. She is best known as the guitarist for the punk band the Slits from 1977 until 1982, with whom she recorded two studio ...

(born 1954), British guitarist, songwriter and author * Viviane Araújo (born 1986), Brazilian mixed martial artist * Viviane Bampassy, Senegalese politician * Viviane Biviga, Gabonese politician * Vivi Fernandez (born 1977), Brazilian model *

Viviane Hagner Viviane Hagner is a German violinist. She was born in Munich, Germany in 1977 (but grew up in Berlin), to a German father and Korean mother. She is sister to Nicole Hagner, the pianist. Hagner started studying the piano at age 3 before switchin ...

(born 1977), German violinist *

Viviane Ndour Viviane (born Viviane Chidid) is a Senegalese pop singer who is the former backing vocalist and former sister-in-law of Youssou N'Dour. Viviane is known as the queen or reine of Senegalese music. On March 31, 2012 the label Wonda Music of produ ...

, Senegalese singer *

Viviane Romance Viviane Romance (born Pauline Ronacher Ortmanns; 4 July 1912 – 25 September 1991) was a French actress. Viviane Romance was born in Roubaix, France. She began her career as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris and was elected Miss Paris of 193 ...

(1912–1991), French actress

Vivianne

* Vivianne Blanlot (born 1956), Chilean economist and politician *

Vivianne Crowley Vivianne Crowley is an author, university lecturer, psychologist, and a High Priestess and teacher of the Wiccan religion. She was initiated into the London coven of Alex Sanders (founder of the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca) at the age of eig ...

, English author, university lecturer, psychologist, and teacher of the Wiccan religion *

Vivianne Fock Tave Vivianne Simone Fock Tave is a Seychellois Principal Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism. She is the daughter of Gontran Fock Tave and Agnezina ( Belle). In 2015, she became the ambassador to the People's R ...

, Seychellois diplomat *

Vivianne Miedema Anna Margaretha Marina Astrid "Vivianne" Miedema (; born 15 July 1996) is a Dutch professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for FA Women's Super League (FA WSL) club Arsenal W.F.C., Arse ...

(born 1996), Dutch forward footballer *

Vivianne Pasmanter Vivianne Pasmanter (born 24 May 1971) is a Brazilian actress. Biography Of Jewish origin, Vivianne is the daughter of Ricardo Pasmanter, civil engineer, and Berta Pasmanter, plastic artist (both natural of Argentina). Her first course was in Esc ...

(born 1971), Brazilian actress * Viviane Ventura, Mother of Sheherazade Goldsmith and author

Vivienne

Vivienne Boyd Dame Vivienne Myra Boyd (née Lowe, 11 April 1926 – 13 July 2011) was a New Zealand woman active in community and public affairs. Early life and family Born Vivienne Myra Lowe in Lower Hutt on 11 April 1926, Boyd was the daughter of Wini ...

(1926–2011), New Zealand politician *

Vivienne Binns Vivienne Joyce Binns (born 1940) is an Australian artist known for her contribution to the Women's Art Movement in Australia, her engagement with feminism in her artwork, and her active advocacy within community arts. She works predominantly in ...

(born 1940), Australian artist * Vivienne Chandler (born 1947), French actress and photographer *

Vivienne Faull Vivienne Frances Faull (born 20 May 1955) is a British Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual. Since 2018, she has served as the Bishop of Bristol. In 1985, she was the first woman to be appointed chaplain to an Oxbridge college. She was later a cat ...

(born 1955), British Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual * Vivienne Goonewardene (1916–1996), Sri Lankan politician * Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot, also spelt Vivien (1888–1947), first wife of poet and writer T. S. Eliot *

Vivienne Malone-Mayes Vivienne Lucille Malone-Mayes (February 10, 1932 – June 9, 1995) was an American mathematician and professor. Malone-Mayes studied properties of functions, as well as methods of teaching mathematics.Vivienne Medrano Vivienne Medrano (born October 28, 1992), also known by her online alias VivziePop, is an American animator, illustrator, comic creator and voice actress. She is best known as the creator of the adult animated series ''Hazbin Hotel'' and ''H ...

(born 1992), Salvadorian American animator, illustrator, comic creator, and voice actress *

Vivienne Ming Vivienne L’Ecuyer Ming (born October 19, 1971) is an American theoretical neuroscientist and artificial intelligence expert. She was named as one of the BBC '' 100 Women'' in 2017, and as one of the ''Financial Times'' "LGBT leaders and allies ...

, American theoretical neuroscientist and artificial intelligence expert *

Vivienne Osborne Vivienne Osborne (born Vera Vivienne Spragg; December 10, 1896 – June 10, 1961) was an American stage and film actress known for her work in Broadway theatre and in silent and sound films. Career Osborne began her career on stage when s ...

(1896–1961), American stage and film actress *

Vivienne (photographer) Florence Vivienne Mellish (1889–1982), known simply as Vivienne, was a British photographer and singer. She was married to the artist Ernest George Entwistle (1877–1963), and took up photography in 1934, in order to assist him and their photo ...

(1889–1982), British photographer and singer *

Vivienne Pinay The fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' began airing on January 28, 2013, with a 90-minute premiere episode. The winner of season five headlined Logo's Drag Race Tour featuring Absolut Vodka, won a one-of-a-kind trip, a lifetime supply of Color ...

, Filipino-American drag queen * Vivienne Roumani (born 1950), Libyan filmmaker *

Vivienne Segal Vivienne Sonia Segal (April 19, 1897 – December 29, 1992) was an American actress and singer. Early years Segal was born on April 19, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the elder daughter of Jewish parents Bernhard Segal, a physician, ...

(1897–1992) American actress *

Vivienne de Silva Boralessa Vivienne De Silva Boralessa ( si, විවියන් ද සිල්වා බොරලැස්ස) (24 November 1930 - 2 April 2017) was a Sri Lankan singer known particularly for her Buddhist devotional music. She was one of the most popul ...

(1930-2017), Sri Lankan singer *

Vivienne Spence Vivienne Spence-Gardner (born 22 January 1965) is a retired female sprinter from Jamaica, who mainly competed in the women's 100 metres during her career. She is a one-time Olympian, making her only appearance in 1988 (Seoul, South Korea ...

(born 1965), Jamaican track and field athlete * Vivienne Trumpy (1917–1975), stage name

Vivi Gioi Vivi Gioi, born Vivienne Trumpy (2 January 1917, Livorno – 12 July 1975, Fregene) was an Italian actress. Her alternative professional last name Diesca was an anagram of De Sica, the famous actor and director with whom she was in love. She is ...

, Italian actress *

Vivienne de Watteville Vivienne Florence Beatrice de Watteville (1900–1957) was a British travel writer and adventurer, author of two books based on her experiences in East Africa in the 1920s, ''Out in the Blue'' (1927) and ''Speak to the Earth'' (1935). She is best ...

(1900–1957), United Kingdom author *

Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (née Swire; born 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. Westwood came to public notice when she m ...

(born 1941), English fashion designer

Vyvienne

Vyvienne Long Vyvienne Long is a musician from Co. Dublin, Ireland. A classically trained cellist from the College of Music, Dublin and the Escola de Musica in Barcelona, she also sings and plays piano and writes music for her quintet which comprises 2 cel ...

, Irish musician

Vyvyan

* Vyvyan Lorrayne, South African ballerina

Vyvyane

Vyvyane Loh Vyvyane Loh (Chinese: ''Loh Hui-Shien'') is a Malaysian-United States, American novelist, choreographer, and physician. Biography Loh was born in Ipoh, Malaysia of an ethnic Chinese family. She grew up in Singapore and completed a degree in Bio ...

, Chinese ''Hui-Shien'', Malaysian-American novelist, choreographer, and physician

Hypocoristic Vivi (used as given name in Scandinavia)

Vivi Bach Vivi Bach (3 September 1939 – 22 April 2013) was a Danish film actress. She appeared in 48 films between 1958 and 1974. Bach was born as Vivi Bak in Copenhagen, Denmark, and died on Ibiza, Spain, where she lived with her husband, the Aus ...

(1939–2013), Danish actress and singer * Vivi Flindt (born 1943), Danish ballerina * Vivi Friedman (1967–2012), Finnish film director *

Vivi Krogh Vivi Krogh (18 October 1919 - 23 May 2014) was a Norwegian resistance member and leader of the anti-immigration group ''Organisasjon mot skadelig innvandring i Norge''. She was in 1981 convicted for anti-Islamic hate speech by the Norwegian Suprem ...

(born 1919), Norwegian anti-immigration activist

As a pseudonym or adopted name

Vivian Chow Vivian Chow Wai-man (, born 10 November 1967) is a Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer-songwriter and actress. Life and career Vivian Chow is the only child in her family. Her father died before her birth due to heart disease. She was brought u ...

(born 1967), Hong Kong singer and actress *

Vivian Hsu Vivian Hsu ( Atayal: ; ; born March 19, 1975) is a Taiwanese singer and actress. Hsu rose to prominence in Japan, where she made her first appearance in 1995 and has become a highly recognized celebrity with her countless appearances in media dur ...

(born 1975), Taiwanese singer, actress and model *

Vivienne Poy Vivienne Poy (née Lee; ; born May 15, 1941) is a Canadian businesswoman, author and philanthropist. She served as a member of the Senate of Canada from 1998 until her retirement in 2012. Early life and education On May 15, 1941, Poy was ...

(born 1941), politician *

Vivienne Tam Vivienne Tam (, born 28 November 1957) is a fashion designer based in New York City. She was born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, and moved to Hong Kong at the age of three. She attended the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Tam's fashion brand ...

(born 1957), Hong Kong fashion designer *

Vivean Gray Jean Vivra Gray (20 July 1924 – 29 July 2016), known professionally as Vivean Gray, also credited as ''Vivian Gray'' and ''Viven Gray'', was an English television and film actress. She starred in the films '' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' a ...

, British TV and film actress (adopted name of Jean Vivra Gray)

Fictional characters

* Vivien, the

, in Tennyson's ''Idylls of the King'' (1859) and elsewhere *

Vivian Kudo The manga series ''Case Closed'', known as in Japan, features a large number of recurring fictional characters created by Gosho Aoyama. The series takes place in modern-day Japan and follows an amateur detective Jimmy Kudo (Japanese name: Shini ...

(Yukiko Kudo), in Manga series ''Case Closed'' *

Vivian Grey ''Vivian Grey'' is Benjamin Disraeli's first novel, published by Henry Colburn in 1826. Originally published anonymously, ostensibly by a so-called "man of fashion", part 1 caused a considerable sensation in London society. Contemporary reviewe ...

, hero of Benjamin Disraeli's eponymous first novel, published in 1826 * Vivien de Monbranc, hero of a 12th-century French ''chanson de geste'' *

Vivian Alamain Vivian Alamain is a fictional character from '' Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by head writers Richard J. Allen and Beth Milstein, and introduced by executive producers Ken Corday and Al Rabin, the role ...

, on the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' *Vivien Harmon, one of the main characters in the American TV show ''

American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the '' American Story'' media franchise, each season is conceived as a ...

'' *Vivian Volkoff, daughter of the main antagonist of ''

Chuck Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer * C ...

s season four *Vivian Joan Abbot Walker, one of the main characters of the novel ''

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood ''Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood'' is a 1996 novel written by Rebecca Wells. It follows the novel '' Little Altars Everywhere''. In 2005, Wells wrote ''Ya-Yas in Bloom'' and then ''The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder''. ''Divine Secret ...

'' (1996) by Rebecca Wells *Vyvyan Basterd, character in the British comedy series '' The Young Ones'' *Vivian Ward, the title character in the film ''

Pretty Woman ''Pretty Woman'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall, from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), La ...

'' (1990) *Vivian Banks, or "Aunt Viv" character in the American comedy series ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...

'' *Vivian Sternwood, General Sternwood's oldest daughter and a key figure in Raymond Chandler's crime novel ''

The Big Sleep ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, The Big Sleep (1946 film), in 1946 and again The Big Sleep ...

'' (1939) *Vivian Smith-Smythe-Smith, a character from the Monty Python sketch "

Upper Class Twit of the Year "Upper Class Twit of the Year" is a comedy sketch that was seen on the 1970 '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'' episode "The Naked Ant" (series 1, episode 12), and also in a modified format as the finale of the movie ''And Now for Something Complet ...

" *

Vivienne Vivian (and variants such as Vivien and Vivienne) 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 n ...

, a character from the video game ''Dragon Age: Inquisition'' who can be recruited as a party member *Princess Vivian, from the American animated television series ''

Sofia the First ''Sofia the First'' is an American animated fantasy children's television series. The show follows a young peasant girl named Sofia ( Ariel Winter), who becomes a princess after her mother marries the king of Enchancia. Episodes focus on her ad ...

''; first appeared in ''The Shy Princess'' *Vyvyan Ayrs, a famous but reclusive male composer in David Mitchell's novel ''

Cloud Atlas A cloud atlas is a pictorial key (or an atlas) to the nomenclature of clouds. Early cloud atlases were an important element in the training of meteorologists and in weather forecasting, and the author of a 1923 atlas stated that "increasing use ...

'' (2004) *

Vivian (Paper Mario) is a fictional character appearing in the 2004 role-playing video game '' Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''. She initially serves as an enemy to the player character Mario, later joining the player's party after he helps her. In the Japanes ...

, one of the player's partners in the role-playing video game ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' *Vivienne Deering, a character in British police drama ''

No Offence ''No Offence'' is a British television police procedural drama on Channel 4, created by Paul Abbott. It follows a team of detectives from Friday Street police station, a division of the Manchester Metropolitan Police (a fictional version of the ...

'' *Vivian "Viv", a supporting character in Freeform's canceled show ''

Siren Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wisc ...

'' *Vivian "Viv" Turner, Timmy Turner's cousin, and the main protagonist in '' The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder''

Notes

{{Given name English feminine given names English-language masculine given names English masculine given names English-language unisex given names English unisex given names