Meaning and background
The story behind Lavinia
Lavinia is an ancient Roman name whose original literal meaning is not known; a probable Etruscan origin is sometimes suggested. Its literary and mythological history is much clearer. In Roman legend she is the daughter of King Latinus and wife of Aeneas, and the town Lavinium is said to have been named after her. That mythic association should not be turned into a confidently translated word.
- Origin
- Ancient Roman name of uncertain etymology, probably Etruscan; prominent in Roman legend. Source
Try Lavinia out loud
Everyday moments“Lavinia, come here!”
Say it as you would on a walk or at home. Does it feel natural alongside your usual commands and other pets’ names?
About Lavinia
Recorded as a dog’s name
Lavinia appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/ləvɪnjə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/ləvɪnjə/ · primary stress on syllable 2L AH0 V IH1 N Y AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
Compare your favourites
Put Lavinia beside another name before you decide.
Explore names like Lavinia
Narrow the finder by the features you want to keep.
Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.