Vivien

Vivien, Vivienne (f) Also Vivian, Vivianne, Viviene,
Vyvien. Vivian has also been used as a male name in
Scotland. It derives from Latin vivianus, ‘lively.’ The
girls’ name is associated with the Lady of the Lake: Vivien in Tennyson’s version of the poem; Vivienne in French, but this ‘wily wanton,’ or ‘personification of shameless harlotry,’ as she has been called, seems hardly suitable as a namesake. The name has been quietly used in Scotland, though it enjoyed a minor spell of popularity in the 1940’s. This was no doubt a compliment to the actress Vivien Leigh (1913-67). Miss Leigh was christened Vivian, but made a point of changing it to Vivien.

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