Niven

Niven is a surname of Scottish origin. It is found in various English-speaking countries and has been borne by several notable individuals.

Notable people include David Niven (1910–1983), a British actor and Academy Award winner whose film career spanned stage and screen, including roles in Separate Tables and Around the World in 80 Days. Another prominent bearer is Larry Niven (born 1938), an American science fiction writer known for the Known Space universe and the Ringworld series, whose work has had a lasting influence on the genre.

In popular culture, the name Niven is most often associated with these figures—David Niven in film and Larry Niven in science fiction literature. The surname has appeared in other contexts as well, including various fictional and real-world uses, but the associations with David Niven and Larry Niven remain the most widely recognized.