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 f ...

, and less often a

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

, derived from a Latin name of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

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.

History and variants

The Latin name Vivianus 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'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "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 hereditar ...

''. 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. A brief ''Life'' of his dated to the mid 6th century was edited by Krush in 1896.MGH, SRM 3 (1896), 94-100. Krusch th ...

, 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 Episcopal seat, see in the Saintes Cathedral, cathedral of Saintes, Charente-Maritime, Saintes in western France, in the modern depa ...

; 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. The 12th-century writer Geoffr ...

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

Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (, , , , ) is a title used by multiple characters in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. As either actually fairy or fairy-like yet human enchantres ...

. 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 early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...

. 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 increasingly given to girls and thus evolved into 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 co ...

; by 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 According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a leader of the post-Ro ...

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's ...

's ''

Idylls of the King ''Idylls of the King'', published between 1859 and 1885, is a 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 knights, his love f ...

'' 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 dedicatio ...

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 The territory today known as England became inhabited more than 800,000 years ago, as the discovery of stone tools and footprints at Happisburgh in Norfolk have indicated.; "Earliest footprints outside Africa discovered in Norfolk" (2014). B ...

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

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

Baronetage of England Baronets are hereditary titles awarded by the Crown. The current baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier, existing baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland and Great Britain. To be recognised as a baronet, it is necessary ...

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 had a ...

was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1841. Notable bearers of the surname include: * C. T. Vivian (1924–2020), American minister and author * Daniel Vivian (born 1999), Spanish footballer *

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, Baron Russell of Killowen, Charles Russell, Leopold Maxse and others in the 1880s. H ...

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

Neo-Jacobite Revival The Neo-Jacobite Revival was a political movement active 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 restored monar ...

* Ivor Vivian (born 1933), Australian politician * Jennifer Vyvyan (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 V ...

(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 was received in the Académie ...

(1657–1735), French painter * Renée Vivien (1877–1909), British poet in the French language * Weston E. Vivian (1924–2020), American politician *

William Vyvyan William Vyvyan (fl. 1325), was an English Member of Parliament (MP). He was a Member of the Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replace ...

, 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 (; born 25 January 1961) is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former ophthalmologist who has been serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been th ...

(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. Bendal ...

(born 1938), English Conservative politician *

Vivian Blake Vivian Blake (11 May 1956 – 21 March 2010) was a Jamaican drug lord, 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, Jamaica, Kingst ...

(1956–2010), Jamaican criminal * Vivian Blake (politician) (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 Vivian de Buffrénil is a French histologist and Paleobiology, paleobiologist who has worked at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1982 to 2021. His doctorate (1980) and his doctorat d'état (1990), a diploma now replaced by ...

(born 1950), French histologist and palaeobiologist *

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

(born 1962), Northern Irish heavy metal guitarist * Vivian Cook (linguist) (1940–2021), 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. H ...

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

Vivian Dsena Vivian Dsena (born 28 June 1988) is an Indian actor and a former model who predominantly works in Hindi television. Dsena is considered as one of the highly successful television actors in India. He is a recipient of several accolades including ...

(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 Paul Temple theme " Coronation Scot". Life and work Ellis was born in Hampste ...

(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 Fuch ...

(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 b ...

(born 1978), Guyanese boxer *

Vivian Wilson Henderson Vivian Wilson Henderson (February 10, 1923 – January 28, 1976) was an American educator and human rights activist, and the eighth president of Clark Atlanta University. Vivian Wilson Henderson became President of Clark College in 1963, at the ...

(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 Neville Jackson (14 August 1946 – 12 January 2010), better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising self-produced work. Biogra ...

(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 (1924–1987), British aristocrat and banker *

Viv Prince Vivian Martin Prince (born 9 August 1941) is an English drummer. He played in a variety of bands during the 1960s, including Pretty Things. He was noted for his wild and eccentric behaviour, which garnered a lot of publicity for the group and in ...

(born 1941), English drummer with the band

Pretty Things Pretty Things were an English Rock music, rock band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent, taking their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing", and active in their first incarnation until 1971. They released five studio albums, i ...

* Sir

Viv Richards Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (born 7 March 1952) is a retired Antiguan cricketer who represented the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991. Usually batting 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 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. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide. The organization raises money to imp ...

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'' ...

(1895–1960), English impresario of the Windmill Theatre, London * Vivian Wilson (1899–1978), New Zealand rugby union player *

Vivian Wineman Vivian Wineman (born 14 February 1950) was president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the representative body of the Jewish community in Britain, from 2009 to 2015. Early life He was born in London, on 14 February 1950, to Joseph and ...

(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 the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established in 17 ...

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. Inter ...

(1879–1954), English centre forward footballer

Vivien

Vivien Thomas Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an American laboratory supervisor who, in the 1940s, played a major role in developing a procedure now called the Blalock–Thomas–Taussig shunt used to treat blue baby syndr ...

(1910–1985), American surgical technician

Vivion

Vivion de Valera Vivion Laurence de Valera (13 December 1910 – 16 February 1982) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, businessman and lawyer who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1945 to 1981. He was the eldest child of Éamon de Valera and Sinéad de Val ...

(1910–1982), Irish politician, eldest son of

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (; ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served as the 3rd President of Ire ...

Sinéad de Valera Sinéad de Valera (; 3 June 1878 – 7 January 1975) was an Irish author of a number of children's books in both Irish and English. She was married to Taoiseach and third president of Ireland, Éamon de Valera. Background She was born Jane O'F ...

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 ...

(1900–1951), British Conservative Party politician * Vyvyan Donnithorne (1886–1968), British Anglican missionary to China *

Vyvyan Evans Vyvyan Evans (born 23 September 1968) 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 ...

, 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 D ...

(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 co ...

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

Vyvian

Vyvian Pike Vyvian John Pike (born 13 August 1969) is a former English cricketer. Pike was a right-handed Batsman (cricket), batsman who bowled leg break. Pike made his debut for Dorset County Cricket Club, Dorset in the 1993 Minor Counties Championship a ...

(born 1969), English cricketer

Stage name or nickname

*"Vivian", a nickname given to

Chaim Herzog Chaim Herzog (; 17 September 1918 – 17 April 1997) was an Israeli politician, military officer, lawyer and author who served as the president of Israel between 1983 and 1993. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Dublin, the son of Ireland' ...

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 uppe ...

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

The Vivienne James Lee Williams (12 April 1992 – 5 January 2025), known professionally as The Vivienne, was a British drag queen from Colwyn Bay, Wales, and winner of the RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 1, first series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' in 2019. T ...

(1992–2025), 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 Saint Vibiana is a third-century Virgin (title)#Virgin martyrs, virgin martyr of the Roman Catholic Church. She is the Patron saint, patroness of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Her liturgical feast day ...

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

Vivian

* Vivian Inez Archibald (born 1945), British Virgin Islander politician * Vivian Bang (born 1983), American actress *

Vivian Barbot Vivian Barbot (born July 7, 1941) is a Canadian teacher, activist, and politician. She is a former president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, a former member of Parliament and former vice-president of the Bloc Québécois. She was th ...

(born 1941), Canadian politician *

Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot (born 11 September 1983) is a Kenyan Long-distance running, long-distance runner. She represented Kenya at the Athletics at the Summer Olympics, Summer Olympics in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning the silver medal i ...

(born 1983), Kenyan long-distance runner *

Vivian Chukwuemeka Vivian Peters-Chukwuemeka (born 4 May 1975) is a retired Nigerian shot putter and two-time Olympian. She won the gold medal in the shot put at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and has won three consecutive titles at the All-Africa Games from 1999 to 2 ...

(born 1975), Nigerian shot putter * Vivian Dandridge (1921–1991), American actress * Vivian Fine (1913–2000), American composer *

Vivian Flowers Vivian Flowers is an American politician who is the mayor of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She serves in the Arkansas House of Representatives and is a Democrat. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She lives in Pine Bluff, Ar ...

(born c. 1969), American politician *

Vivian Garrison Vivian E. Garrison (August 28, 1933 – April 2, 2013) was an applied medical anthropologist who researched mental health care among low-income, minority, and migrant communities in the New York metropolitan area. Early life Garrison, known as ...

(1933–2013), American applied medical anthropologist *

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. The Green home was filled with the sounds of ''Motown, ...

(born 1979), American R&B singer *

Vivian Holt Vivian Grace Holt (May 10, 1885 – July 7, 1945), also known as Vivienne Holt and Vivian Holt-Ruben, was an American soprano singer who performed in vaudeville, on Broadway theatre, Broadway, in recordings and on radio, usually paired with piani ...

(1885–1945), American singer *

Vivian Ikechukwu Vivian Obianujunwa Ikechukwu (born 10 July 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX Femenil club Cruz Azul and the Nigeria women's national team. Club career Ikechukwu is 1.68 m tall and plays in the for ...

(born 1997), Nigerian footballer *

Vivi Janiss Vivi Janis (born Vivian Audrey Jamison; May 29, 1911 – September 7, 1988) was an American actress, known for such films as ''The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues'' (1955), ''Man on the Prowl (film), Man on the Prowl'' (1957), and ''First, You Cry'' ...

(1911–1988), American actress *

Vivian Annabelle Johnson Vivian Annabelle Johnson (1912–1985) was an American physicist, professor at Purdue University and researcher in theoretical solid state physics. She worked to improve educational opportunities and the status of women. Biography Vivian Annabe ...

(1912–1985), American physicist *

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 (born 1994), Hong Kong fencer * Vivian Kubrick (born 1960), American-born English filmmaker and composer *

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

(born 1979), Hong Kong boccia player *

Vivian Maier Vivian Dorothy Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American Street photography, street photographer whose work was discovered and recognized after her death. She took more than 150,000 photographs during her lifetime, primarily of ...

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

Vivian Oparah Vivian Nneka O. Oparah (born 30 December 1996) is a British actress and musician. For her performance in the film '' Rye Lane'' (2023), she won a British Independent Film Award and received a British Academy Film Award nomination. On television, s ...

(born 1996), British actress * Vivian Schuyler Key (1905–1990), American artist, designer * Vivian Silver (1949–2023), Canadian-Israeli peace activist *

Vivian Blanche Small Vivian Blanche Small (1875–1946) was an American educational leader. For 32 years, she served as the fourth president of Lake Erie College; in 1941, upon her retirement, she was bestowed the title, ''President Emeritus''. Early life and educati ...

(1875-1946), president, Lake Erie College *

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress best known for playing landlady Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the 1953 Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...

(1909–1979), American actress * Vivian Wilson (born 2004), eldest living child of

Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...

and

Justine Wilson Jennifer Justine Musk ( Wilson; born September 2, 1972) is a Canadian author. She is the first ex-wife of businessman Elon Musk. Early life and education Jennifer "Justine" Wilson was born on September 2, 1972, in Peterborough, Ontario, to paren ...

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 Z ...

(born 1945), New Zealand painter *

Vivien Cardone Vivien 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) and ''Theater, Interrupted'' (2020–2021) ...

(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 Vivien Risling Hailstone (October 16, 1913 – July 8, 2000) was a Yurok/Karok basketweaver, jewelry designer, activist and educator who led efforts to sustain traditional basket weaving patterns and techniques. Hailstone also had an impact on sta ...

(1913–2000), Native American designer and educator * Vivien Kirk, New Zealand mathematician * Vivien Knight (1953–2009), British art historian and gallerist *

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progress ...

, 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 * Vivien Sansour (born 1978), Palestinian visual artist

Viviane

Viv Albertine Viviane Katrina Louise Albertine (born 1 December 1954) is an Australian-born English 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. Her music combines traditional Senegalese mbalax ...

, Senegalese singer * Viviane Nicaise (born 1952), Belgian cartoonist and colorist *

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. She was elected Miss Paris of 19 ...

(1912–1991), French actress

Vivianne

Vivianne Blanlot Vivianne Amelia Blanlot Soza (born October 22, 1956, in La Serena, Chile) is a Chilean economist and politician. Her father Jorge Enrique Blanlot was an Army captain, and her grandfather General Enrique Blanlot Reisig. She has a degree in econo ...

(born 1956), Chilean economist and politician *

Vivianne Crowley Vivianne Crowley is an English writer, university lecturer, psychologist, and a High Priestess and teacher of the Wiccan religion. Life Crowley was initiated into the London coven of Alex Sanders (founder of the Alexandrian tradition of Wicc ...

, English author, university lecturer, psychologist, and teacher of the Wiccan religion * Vivianne Fock Tave, 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, Women's Super League club Manches ...

(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 Anderson, New Zealand professor of education * Vivienne Boyd (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 i ...

(born 1940), Australian artist * Vivienne Chandler (1947–2013), 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 ca ...

(born 1955), British Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual *

Vivienne Goonewardene Violet Vivienne Goonewardene (, ; 18 September 19163 October 1996), commonly known as "Vivi", was a Sri Lankan anti-colonial activist and prominent politician, serving as one of the world's first female ministers. A key figure in both the Indian ...

(1916–1996), Sri Lankan politician *

Vivienne Newton Gray Vivienne E. Newton Gray (February 24, 1917 – November 25, 1988) was an American educator and social worker. She was a Methodist missionary teacher in Liberia from 1948 to 1974. She was also an administrator at Wiley College in Texas. Early lif ...

(1917–1988), American educator in Liberia * Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot (1888–1947), first wife of poet and writer

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

Vivienne Malone-Mayes Vivienne Lucille Malone-Mayes ( Malone; 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 YouTuber, animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actress. She is best known as the creator of the musical television series ''Hazbin Hotel ...

(born 1992), Salvadorian American animator, illustrator, comic creator, and voice actress * Vivienne Ming, American theoretical neuroscientist and artificial intelligence expert * Vivienne Osborne (1896–1961), American stage and film actress *

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 ...

(1889–1982), British photographer and singer * Vivienne Pinay, 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 physicia ...

(1897–1992) American actress * Vivienne de Silva Boralessa (1930–2017), Sri Lankan singer * Vivienne Spence (born 1965), Jamaican track and field athlete * Vivienne Trumpy (1917–1975), stage name

Vivi Gioi Vivi Gioi (born Vivienne Trumpy; 2 January 1917 – 12 July 1975) 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 remembered for '' ...

, Italian actress *

Vivienne de Watteville Vivienne Florence Beatrice de Watteville (17 August 1900 – 27 June 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' ...

(1900–1957), United Kingdom author *

Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (; 8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022) was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. In 2022, ''Sky Arts'' ranked her the ...

(1941–2022), English fashion designer

Vyvienne

* Vyvienne Long, Irish musician

Vyvyan

Vyvyan Lorrayne Vyvyan Lorrayne (20 April 1939 – August 2022) was a South African ballet dancer. Noted as a "softly classical stylist," she won acclaim as a principal dancer for England's Royal Ballet during the 1960s and 1970s. Early life and training Lorrayn ...

, South African ballerina

Vyvyane

* Vyvyane Loh, 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 Aust ...

(1939–2013), Danish actress and singer * Vivi Flindt (born 1943), Danish ballerina * Vivi Friedman (1967–2012), Finnish film director * Vivi Krogh (1919–2014), 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 (; ; born March 19, 1975) is a Taiwanese actress, model, and singer. In 1990, at 15, she won first place in a talent show in Taiwan and formed Girl's Team (1991–1993). At 19, she moved her career to Japan, where she became active ...

(born 1975), Taiwanese singer, actress and model * Vivienne Poy (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-born actress who starred in film and television roles in Australia. Gray starred in ...

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

Others

* Vivienne Mort, Ukrainian indie rock band

Fictional characters

* Vivien, the

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

Vivian Kudo The manga series ''Case Closed'', also known as ''Detective Conan'', features a large cast of fictional characters created by Gosho Aoyama. Set in modern-day Japan, it follows amateur high school detective Jimmy Kudo as he solves cases in an epi ...

(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 is ...

, on the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' *Vivian Dugger, cowardly banker and strip club enthusiast, ''

Fargo (season 5) The fifth season of '' Fargo'', an American anthology black comedy crime drama television series created by Noah Hawley, premiered on November 21, 2023, on FX. It consists of 10 episodes. The season was scheduled to premiere in September 2023, b ...

'' *Vivien Harmon, one of the main characters in the American TV show ''

American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' (''AHS'') is an American horror film, horror anthology series, anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy (producer), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the Cable television, cable network FX (TV channel), FX. Th ...

'' *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 produce ...

s season four *Vivian Joan Abbot Walker, one of the main characters of the novel '' Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood'' (1996) by Rebecca Wells *Vyvyan Basterd, character in the British comedy series '' The Young Ones'' *Vivian Banshee, character in the 2024 Videogame ''

Zenless Zone Zero ''Zenless Zone Zero'' is a free-to-play action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo (with publishing outside mainland China under HoYoverse, Cognosphere, d/b/a ''HoYoverse''). The game was released on Windows, iOS, Android (oper ...

'' *Vivian Ward, the title character in the film ''

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

'' (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 that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

'' *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, in 1946 and again in 1978. The story is set in Los A ...

'' (1939) *Vivian Smith-Smythe-Smith, a character from the Monty Python sketch " Upper Class Twit of the Year" *

, 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 created and developed by Craig Gerber (creator), Craig Gerber for Disney Television Animation and Disney Jr. The series follows a young peasant girl named Sofia, ...

''; 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 video game character appearing in the 2004 role-playing video game '' Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''. A purple ghost-like being who can manipulate fire and shadows, she is originally introduced alongside her older sisters as the Sha ...

, 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'' *Vivian "Viv" Turner, Timmy Turner's cousin, and the main protagonist in '' The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder'' *Vivien Reid, a character in the card game ''Magic: the Gathering''.

References

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