Is Vi short for anything?

Yes. Vi is a nickname in most old records, and it usually points to Violet. Less often it stands in for Viola, Vivian, and Virginia. Expect it in American and British records, mostly 1800s-1900s. A record that says Vi and a record that says Violet can easily be the same person, so search both names before you rule anyone out.

Loading tool…

FAQs

Is Vi a nickname?+

In old records, almost always - it stands for Violet or Viola. Treat it as a pointer to a formal name until the documents prove otherwise.

Is Vi a real name on its own?+

It mostly rode on Violet in the eras we track (1800s-1900s). If your ancestor's papers only ever say Vi, record it as written and keep Violet as a candidate.

How does this nickname lookup work?+

It searches a curated dataset of historical nickname-to-formal-name mappings - in both directions - entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored on our servers.

Start with one relative and see what comes back.

Add what you remember and AncestorIQ searches for the rest. Free to build your tree for as long as you like.

Start your tree, free

No credit card needed. Your tree stays yours.