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At a Glance: Name: Lavinia – Origin: Latin (place name Lavinium, Latium) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: luh-VIN-ee-ah
Lavinia comes from Latin, connected to Lavinium, an ancient town in Latium — not Rome, though you'll often see the name summed up as "woman of Rome" or "purity." That gloss doesn't actually hold up: it's considered folk etymology, and linguistically the name's meaning is treated as obscure rather than settled. If you're sounding it out, it's pronounced luh-VIN-ee-ah.
Meaning & Origin of Lavinia
Origin: Latin (place name Lavinium, Latium).
A common claim: widely glossed as 'purity' or 'woman of Rome/Latium' Actually: The meaning of Lavinia is obscure. It connects to the town of Lavinium in Latium, not Rome, but no meaning such as 'purity' is actually attested.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Lavinia
Phonetic: luh-VIN-ee-ah IPA: /ləˈvɪniə/
Popularity of Lavinia
Lavinia hit its high point on the SSA charts back in 1880, ranking #360 with 21 babies given the name that year. By 2024 it had slipped to #2139, even though the raw count was higher at 89 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Lavinia Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Lavinia, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Lavinia mean?
widely glossed as ‘purity’ or ‘woman of Rome/Latium’ The meaning of Lavinia is obscure. It connects to the town of Lavinium in Latium, not Rome, but no meaning such as ‘purity’ is actually attested.
How do you pronounce Lavinia?
Lavinia is pronounced luh-VIN-ee-ah (IPA: /ləˈvɪniə/).
Is Lavinia a popular name right now?
Lavinia peaked at #360 in 1880 and is ranked #2139 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
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