Livia
An ancient Roman feminine name, potentially derived from the Latin word "livere" (to be envious or jealous).
Name Census estimates that about 9,159 living Americans carry the first name Livia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Livia today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Livia births was 2018 (430 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Livia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
9.2K
~ 1 in 37,423 Americans
Peak year
2018
430 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#836
Tracked since 1906
Popularity
Livia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Livia from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 3,830 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Livia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Livia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Livia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Livias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 39 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Livia, while Louisiana, South Dakota, Maine recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 181 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Livia
The name Livia has its origins in ancient Roman culture, dating back to the Roman Republic and Empire periods. It is derived from the Latin word "livius," which means "envious" or "jealous." This name was initially used by members of the prominent Livian family, one of the most illustrious patrician families in ancient Rome.
During the Roman era, the name Livia gained significant historical importance due to its association with Livia Drusilla, the third wife of the Roman Emperor Augustus. Born in 58 BC, Livia Drusilla was a highly influential and powerful figure in the Roman Empire, playing a crucial role in securing the succession of her son Tiberius as the next emperor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Livia can be found in the writings of ancient Roman historians, such as Suetonius and Tacitus, who chronicled the lives and reigns of the Roman emperors. These historical accounts provide valuable insights into the significance of the name Livia during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Livia. One such figure was Livia of Constantinople (384-388 AD), a Roman Empress and the second wife of the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I. Another was Livia Apollonia (born c. 10 BC), the daughter of the Roman Senator Marcus Valerius Messalla Appianus and the wife of the Roman general Drusus Julius Caesar.
In the Middle Ages, the name Livia was less common, but it resurfaced during the Renaissance period. One notable bearer was Livia da Porto Thiene (1451-1508), an Italian noblewoman and the wife of the Blessed Bernardo Thiene. She played a significant role in the establishment of the Theatine Order, a Catholic religious order founded by her husband.
Another historical figure with the name Livia was Livia Drusilla (1662-1737), an Italian noblewoman and the daughter of Flavio Drusilla, the Duke of Persiacco. She was known for her involvement in the cultural and intellectual circles of her time.
It is worth noting that while the name Livia has its roots in ancient Roman culture, it has been adopted and used across various cultures and regions throughout history, albeit with variations in spelling and pronunciation.
People
Livia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Livia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Livia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Livia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,159 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Livia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 37,423 US residents.
Is Livia a common name?
We classify Livia as "Rare". It ranks above 97.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,903 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Livia most popular?
The single biggest year for Livia was 2018, when 430 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Livia is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Livia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Livia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.