Vivan
Vivacious name derived from the Latin word "vivax" meaning lively or vigorous.
Name Census estimates that about 611 living Americans carry the first name Vivan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 54.2% of registrations being male. The average person named Vivan today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vivan births was 2016 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vivan. 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.
Key insights
- • Vivan was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
People living today
611
~ 1 in 560,973 Americans
Peak year
2016
44 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,034
Tracked since 1911
Gender
Gender distribution for Vivan
Vivan is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 801 total registrations, 434 (54.2%) were male and 367 (45.8%) were female.
Vivan as a male name
- Ranked #5,034 in 2024
- 20 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (44 births)
Vivan as a female name
- Ranked #10,188 in 2024
- 10 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1991 (11 births)
Popularity
Vivan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vivan from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 259 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Vivan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vivan 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 Vivan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vivans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Vivan, while New Jersey, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vivan
The name Vivan has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that has been spoken on the Indian subcontinent for over 3,500 years. The name Vivan is derived from the Sanskrit word "vivaha," which means "marriage" or "to lead away a bride." It is believed that the name was initially given to children born during auspicious marriage ceremonies or festivals celebrating nuptial unions.
In Hindu mythology, there are references to Vivan as a name associated with Lord Vishnu, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. In the sacred text of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Vishnu is described as the "Vivaha," or the one who governs and sanctifies marriages. This connection further strengthened the name's association with marital bliss and harmony.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vivan can be found in ancient Indian texts dating back to the 6th century BCE. In the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics, there is a character named Vivan who was a skilled warrior and advisor to the Pandava princes.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Vivan. One of the most famous was Vivan Sundaram (1943-present), an Indian contemporary artist known for his installations, multimedia works, and involvement in the Radical Painters and Sculptors Association. Another prominent figure was Vivan Bhatena (1932-2017), an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked in both Hindi and Marathi cinema.
In the field of literature, Vivan Sharan (1914-1990) was a renowned Hindi novelist and short story writer, known for his works that explored social issues and human relationships. Vivan Ramalingam (1958-present) is a prominent Malaysian lawyer and human rights activist who has been actively involved in various civil liberties movements.
Vivan Mehra (1966-present) is an Indian fashion designer who has showcased her collections at prestigious fashion weeks worldwide and has dressed numerous celebrities. She is known for her innovative use of traditional Indian textiles and techniques in contemporary designs.
While the name Vivan has its roots in ancient Sanskrit, it has transcended cultural boundaries and become a name appreciated and used across various ethnicities and regions. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its rich historical significance and its association with concepts of marital harmony and auspiciousness.
People
Vivan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vivan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vivan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vivan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 611 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vivan 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 560,973 US residents.
Is Vivan a common name?
We classify Vivan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 801 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vivan most popular?
The single biggest year for Vivan was 2016, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vivan is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vivan a male name?
Yes, 54.2% of people registered as Vivan in the SSA data are male. 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.