Victorious V Names

Velvet is a name that couldn't possibly be softer or more luxuriant. Many people have fond memories of it via the character of Velvet Brown, played by the young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, an intrepid young woman willing to masquerade as a boy to race her horse in a dangerous steeplechase.

Deriving from the Roman cognomen Vivianus, Vivian was originally a masculine name, with Vivien being a feminine soundalike coined by Alfred Lord Tennyson for the Lady of the Lake in his famous poetic adaptation of the legend of King Arthur. It has since become a much more popular choice for girls in the US, but retains a refined British charm which sees it cropping up occasionally for boys in the Telegraph birth announcements.

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the Spanish Violeta — both of which were among the fastest-rising girl names of 2023.

Embroidered lace hankie of a name, used in a Thomas Hardy novel. That literary cred lends some gravitas.

This vivid reddish orange color name is an undiscovered possibility -- kind of a female equivalent of Cerulean for boys.

Place-name waiting to be discovered.

The most famous Vlad was nicknamed "the Impaler." Enough said.

Ventura started life as a shortening of Bonaventura, Spanish for good luck or good fortune, but now stands on its own. It has a pleasant sound and the stylish 'V' ending, but Angelenos would associate it with the Valley's main stem--Ventura Boulevard, and others might think of Ace or Jesse Ventura.

Name with aristrocratic overtones.

The name of prize-winning American architect Robert Venturi would make a somewhat awkward first.

Though this one would be sure to inspire confusion, Ven- names can be an intriguing alternative to the Ben- group.

Volcano name for an active, bubbly child -- but be careful -- volcanoes do erupt.

Substituting the V for the W sounds almost comedic to the American ear.

Much more upscale and modern for a girl than a boy.