Le Viviant
Could anyone tell me the meaning of the last name Le Viviant? I checked www.jtosti.com/noms, but it's in French and my French is rather poor.

Thanks
Cat
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On http://www.jtosti.com/noms I can only find it as a variant of Vivian. This is a 'baptismal name' of Latin origin (Vivianus, vivus, 'alive'), which owes its popularity to the fact that it was used by several saints. The variant Viviant is from the Savoie region.
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My French isn't the strongest--I've only had two years worth--but my guess would be "the lively one". It would be a descriptor.

Array
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The Savoy surname Viviant comes from a given name "vivien" which come from the latin "vivianus", in English "vital".
There is also the femininine form Vivienne.
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Without consulting my books, I'd say it means something like "the life" since a "bon vivant" is a gourmand.
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