Viva is a Latin exclamation, long live, from vivere, to live, and it functions as a statement of purpose rather than a label. Naming a dog Viva is a small declaration: this animal is alive, emphatically, in every possible sense. The name suits dogs who take up more space than their body size would suggest.
The Exclamatory Name Tradition
Viva belongs to a cluster of exclamatory pet names that are more verbs or statements than nouns. It has Latin roots but reads as genuinely contemporary, partly through Viva Las Vegas and partly through the cosmetics and magazine associations that give it a vibrant, pop quality. Dachshunds and Italian Greyhounds suit the combination of small-but-emphatic energy.
Sound and Energy
VEE-vah is two open syllables, both vowel-forward, both upbeat. Impossible to say without a slight lift in the voice. The V opening is distinctive: few common pet names start with V, which gives Viva recognition value at the dog park.
Counter-Reading: The Las Vegas Association
Viva Las Vegas is so culturally lodged that some owners get the song before the name registers. That's usually fine. But Viva exists in a slightly party-animal register whether you intend it or not. Compare with Vita for the same Latin root with slightly more gravitas.