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Home › Baby Names Directory › Lavinia

Lavinia

♀ Girl

Pronounced luh-VIHN-ee-uh /lə.ˈvɪn.i.ə/Medium

Meaning: PraiseMedium

In 30 seconds: Lavinia is a Roman name meaning 'praise', tied to the legendary woman Aeneas married in Virgil's Aeneid. It has a graceful, antique elegance.
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Origin MediumRoman Mythology, Italian, Romanian
MeaningPraise
U.S. rank (2025)#2290 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births80 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1921
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,660

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192118802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Lavinia comes from Roman tradition with the meaning praise, and in myth she is the Latin princess whose marriage helped found the Roman line. The name carries that classical weight while staying soft and feminine in sound. Variants such as Lavina and the Portuguese Lavínia show how it travels across languages.

The bearer Lavinia Fontana, a Mannerist painter of Bologna, lends the name an artistic, Renaissance association. Vinnie offers a casual short form, while Lavena trims it to a smoother shape.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Lavinia is 'praise', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Lavinia — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

LavinaLavenaVinnieLavínia

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614)
    Italian Mannerist painter of Bologna, regarded as the first female career artist in Western Europe.
  • ★Lavinia Miloșovici (1976–present)
    Romanian artistic gymnast, multiple Olympic and World medalist; scored the last perfect 10.0 in Olympic gymnastics (1992).

If you like Lavinia…

Livia— another classical Roman girl's name with the same gentle Latin cadence
Octavia— shares the Roman origin and the flowing -ia ending
Italia— a similarly popular pick
Stefania— shares Lavinia's Italian roots
Ileana— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Lavinia

By themeromanianroman-mythology

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Lavinia mean?

Lavinia is usually explained as meaning 'praise' and is most often linked with Roman Mythology tradition.

How do you pronounce Lavinia?

It's commonly said luh-VIHN-ee-uh /lə.ˈvɪn.i.ə/.

Is Lavinia a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Lavinia is used as a girl name.

How popular is Lavinia?

In 2024, Lavinia ranked #2139 in the U.S. for girls, with 89 births recorded.

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