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Vivian Family History

Vivian Surname Meaning

English: from the Old French and Middle English personal name Vivian Vivien from Latin Vivianus (derivative of vivus ‘living’) the name of a 5th-century Christian martyr. As a personal name its comparative rarity in medieval England gave it a distinctiveness that encouraged its use as a surname.

Its pronunciation appears to have caused difficulty and it is found in a large variety of forms not all of which have survived. Developments include the interchange of initial V and F the interchange of intervocalic v and th and the further interchange of th and d; thus Vivian became Fivian which became Fithian which became Fidian. See also Fithen.

French: mainly southern variant of the personal name Vivien (see 1 above).

Spanish and Galician (Vivián): from the personal name Vivián (see 1 above). Compare Bibian.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Vivian family from?

You can see how Vivian families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Vivian family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Vivian families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 446 Vivian families living in Cornwall. This was about 33% of all the recorded Vivian's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Vivian families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Vivian surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Vivian ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Vivian. 12% of Vivian men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Vivian women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Vivian were Retired and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Vivian | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Dairy Farmer
    7%
  • Carpenter
    7%
  • Retired
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%

What Vivian family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 48,000 census records available for the last name Vivian. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Vivian census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Vivian

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Vivian. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Vivian immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Vivian. For the veterans among your Vivian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Vivian military records

You've only scratched the surface of Vivian family history

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What is the average Vivian lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Vivian life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Vivian in 1950 was 57, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Vivian

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Vivian ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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