Name Awesome

Vi

#14,809 in 2025UnisexGirls' nameBoys' name

Multiple documented origins; meaning depends on tradition

Vi has been given to 1,087 babies in the U.S. since 1916. In 2025 it ranked #14,809 of 17,293 girls’ names in use. Its peak year was 1982, with 31 recorded. It's used for both sexes: 89% girls, 11% boys all-time.

Babies named Vi, 2025

1 in 553,000

Vi over time, 1880–2025

GirlsBoys
01020304018801900192019401960198020002020

Based on births in the U.S. Babies given the name each year. Hover the chart — or focus it and use the arrow keys — for any year. Gaps mean the name was given fewer than 5 times that year; these counts are unpublished.

Girls or boys — Vi over time

In 2025, Vi went to 100% girls and 0% boys.

19162025

A sex is only published in years it reached five applications, so a stretch at 0% or 100% means the other side stayed under that floor — not that it was never used.

Vi: meaning, origin, and history

Multiple documented origins; meaning depends on tradition

Deeper origin not confirmed in the cited records

What Vi means

Vi has more than one naming route in the cited origin entries: distinct naming traditions.

The naming story behind Vi

A separate documented entry treats Vi as a short form of Violet. That is a personal-name relationship, which differs from translating the letters of the modern spelling into one universal English word. The linked origin entry identifies the context of this relationship.

A separate documented entry treats Vi as a variant of Vy. That is a personal-name relationship, which differs from translating the letters of the modern spelling into one universal English word. The linked origin entry identifies the context of this relationship.

Origin, language, and formation

Vi is used in English.

Related names and everyday forms

Related names include Violet and Viola.

Pronunciation and spelling

In English, Vi is pronounced /vaɪ/.

American usage and historical context

In the United States, 962 girls were recorded with the name Vi between 1916 and 2025. Its highest annual count was 31 in 1982; its best national rank was #2,956 in 1982.

Over 5 years its rank fell, from #8,914 in 2020 to #14,809 in 2025. Over 10 years its rank fell, from #10,099 in 2015 to #14,809 in 2025.

In the United States, 125 boys were recorded with the name Vi between 1980 and 1998. Its highest annual count was 11 in 1981; its best national rank was #3,844 in 1981.

Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution

Meaning, origin, and language notes draw on the references below.

American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling. Counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted.

Wiktionary material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How common is Vi?

Everything below is computed from the 2025 data — the most recent year available.

Among all babies, 2025
1 in 553,000
6 of 3,315,165 births
Among girls only
1 in 268,000
<0.01% of girls
Rank, 2025
#14,809
of 17,293 girls’ names in use
Coin-flip room size
382,984 kids
Even odds of a second one

Where Vi sits on the popularity scale

Rarest published (5 a year)#1 — Olivia (13,544)

Chance at least one other child shares the name

If the other children were drawn at random from the 2025 national name distribution. Real classrooms cluster by region and community, so treat these as a floor, not a ceiling.

Class of 20Under 1%
Class of 30Under 1%
Grade of 100Under 1%
School of 500Under 1%

Put another way: gather 382,984 children born in 2025 and it's an even bet that one of them is another Vi. In a class of 30 the chance is Under 1%.

When Vis were born

Half of everyone ever recorded as Vi was born before 1994 — so the typical Vi is around 31 today.

Median birth year
1994
About 31 years old
Biggest decade
1980s
26.1% of all use
Born in the last 25 years
35.1%
Spread across generations
Recorded since 1950
929
People you could plausibly meet
Choose a decade

1980s — 26.1% of all recorded uses (251).

Is Vi rising or falling?

Rank movement and count movement can disagree — the number of distinct names in use keeps growing, so a name holding a steady count still slides down the list. Both are shown.

Rank vs 1 year ago
−4,600
Places dropped
Rank vs 5 years ago
−5,895
Places dropped
Rank vs 10 years ago
−4,710
Places dropped
Births vs 10 years ago
0.55×
Fewer babies than then
Share of its own peak
19.4%
Peak was 1982 (31)
Years since peak
43
Years
Year-to-year steadiness
Volatile
26.8% average annual change
Best rank ever
#2,956
1982

Where Vi is used — girls

Across 1910–2025, Vi was most concentrated in California — about 1 in 100,000 girls, against 1 in 113,175 across all states with data. It was least common in Texas (1 in —).

01 per 100,000

Most concentrated

  1. 1California1 in 100,000
  2. 2Texas1 in —

Shading is the share of that state's recorded girls given this name, not the raw count — otherwise the map would just show which states are biggest. Unshaded states have no published records for this period. U.S. birth records suppress state-year counts below 5; state counts therefore don't add up to the national total. Every state links to its full rankings. Vi has too little recent state data to map, so this covers all years from 1910.

Where Vi is used — boys

Across 1910–2025, Vi was most concentrated in California — about 1 in — boys, against 1 in 645,656 across all states with data.

00 per 100,000

Most concentrated

  1. 1California1 in —

Shading is the share of that state's recorded boys given this name, not the raw count — otherwise the map would just show which states are biggest. Unshaded states have no published records for this period. U.S. birth records suppress state-year counts below 5; state counts therefore don't add up to the national total. Every state links to its full rankings. Vi has too little recent state data to map, so this covers all years from 1910.

Vi around the world

Where Vi ranks in official birth records elsewhere in the world. Rankings only — the number of births isn’t comparable between places, so it isn’t shown.

  • England & Wales
    2008–2023
    #5,688
    in 2023
  • Canada
    1992–2005
    #2,828
    in 2005
  • South Australia
    1983–2011
    #840
    in 2011

Popularity data from Office for National Statistics, Statistics Canada and Consumer and Business Services (South Australia). ONS data under Open Government Licence v3.0. StatCan data under Statistics Canada Open Licence. CBS SA data under CC BY 4.0.

Vi by the numbers

The raw record for each sex the name is used for.

As a girl's name

Rank in 2025
#14,809
Trend vs 5 yrs ago
Down 5,895
Best rank ever
#2,956
1982
Peak year
1982
31 that year
First recorded
1916
Last recorded
2025
All-time count
962
Count in 2025
6

As a boy's name

Rank in 2025
Unranked
Trend vs 5 yrs ago
—
Best rank ever
#3,844
1981
Peak year
1981
11 that year
First recorded
1980
Last recorded
1998
All-time count
125
Count in 2025
Under 5

Names similar to Vi

Matched on shared beginnings and endings, similar length, and comparable popularity.

ViviViaViraAviVihaVianaVibhaVionaViviaEviVidhiDeviVivaVidyaLiviVivicaVitaAnviLeviDaviVivanVinaNaviVika

Sibling names for Vi

Names from the same era and popularity tier — the two things that make a sibling set feel deliberate — skipping lookalike spellings and shared initials.

Explore around Vi

Top names of 1982, Vi's peak yearThe 1980s in fullOther names that peaked in 1982Girls' names starting with V