NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Liv

A feminine Scandinavian name meaning "protection" or "life".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Liv is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Liv popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2771, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 32 births.

This profile covers 447 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 28% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 491 living people in the UK are called Liv. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Liv ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2015, when 32 girls were registered as Liv.
  • Liv ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
  • About 491 living people in the UK are estimated to have Liv as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2771

2024

Births in 2024

9

Latest year

Peak year

2015

32 births

Estimated living

491

2026

Meaning

What does Liv mean?

The name Liv is a Scandinavian name with origins dating back to the Viking Age in Northern Europe. It is derived from the Old Norse word "lif," which means "life" or "protection." The name was commonly used in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Liv can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of stories and historical accounts written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with names like Liv, reflecting the cultural significance of the name during that time period.

In Norse mythology, Liv was also the name of one of the goddesses associated with fertility and life-giving powers. This connection further solidified the name's association with vitality and resilience in ancient Scandinavian cultures.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Liv. One example is Liv Arnesen, a Norwegian explorer and guide who was born in 1953. She is known for being the first woman to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole in 1994.

Another famous Liv was Liv Ullmann, a renowned Norwegian actress and director born in 1938. She achieved international acclaim for her performances in numerous Ingmar Bergman films, such as "Persona" and "Cries and Whispers," and was nominated for several Academy Awards.

In the literary world, Liv Strömquist is a Swedish writer and illustrator born in 1978. She is best known for her graphic novels and cartoons that explore feminist themes and social commentary.

Liv Signe Navarsete, born in 1958, is a Norwegian politician who served as the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development from 2005 to 2013. She played a significant role in promoting sustainable development and environmental policies during her tenure.

Liv Lindeland, born in 1945, is a Norwegian singer and actress who gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. She represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968 and has had a successful career in both music and theater.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Liv, reflecting its enduring presence and cultural significance in Scandinavian countries and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Liv over time

The chart below shows babies named Liv registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Liv, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 32 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Liv
08162432199620102024

Decades

Liv by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Liv was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1657 102 5
2010s #1381 238 10
2000s #2121 104 9
1990s #3795 3 1

Geography

Where Liv is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Liv. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Liv ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Liv in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#790 in 2024

11 years of NRS records, 46 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Liv

  • Liv Hill

    actor

    British actress

    2000-

  • Liv Cooke

    association football player; freestyler footballer

    British football freestyler and entrepreneur

    1999-

  • Liv Dawson

    singer-songwriter

    British singer-songwriter

    1998-

  • Liv Little

    journalist

    Online magazine editor

    1994-

  • Liv Boeree

    model; television presenter; poker player

    British model and poker player

    1984-

  • Liv Garfield

    entrepreneur; chief executive officer

    British businessman

    1975-

  • Liv Harland

  • Liv Philip

    freediver

    freediver

Related

Names similar to Liv

FAQ

Liv: questions and answers

How popular is the name Liv in the UK right now?

In 2024, Liv was ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.

When was Liv most popular?

The peak year on record was 2015, with 32 babies registered as Liv in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Liv?

A feminine Scandinavian name meaning "protection" or "life".

How many people are called Liv in the UK?

A total of 447 babies have been registered as Liv across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 46 more in Scotland.

Where is Liv most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Liv ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.