Karoline Leavitt's Baby Name Matches Prediction From WHCA Dinner

Karoline Leavitt’s daughter’s name was predicted by a mentalist at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, weeks before she gave birth.

At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25-marred by a shooting, believed to be an attempt on President Donald Trump’s life-mentalist Oz Pearlman provided the entertainment.

Pearlman, whose “mind-reading abilities” has seen him perform for A-list celebrities and politicians for decades, was seen performing for Leavitt, Trump and first lady Melania Trump as the shooting began.

Footage from the dinner shows that, moments before the shooting began, Pearlman revealed a slip of paper to those sitting at the top table-with what appears to be the name “Viviana” or “Viviany” written on it.

Before the press secretary has a chance to respond properly, however, the shooting begins.

Newsweek has contacted Oz Pearlman and The White House for comment on this story.

The slip of paper with a name written on it was forgotten in the aftermath of the shooting; the suspect has been identified as 31-year-old California man Cole Tomas Allen, who has since been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump.

A high-profile federal case against Allen continues to unfold, with significant new evidence emerging in recent days about the shooting at the Washington Hilton. Allen faces life in prison if convicted of the attempted assassination count alone, and his defense team has signaled it may eventually press for his release before trial.

Now, however, that piece of paper has made a huge return, as in a post to X on May 7, the White House press secretary shared that she had welcomed a baby girl, writing: “On May 1st, Viviana aka ‘Vivi’ joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love,” alongside a photo of herself with the newborn in her nursery.

In 2024, Leavitt, now 28, became the youngest-ever White House press secretary after being appointed by Trump, having previously served as his assistant White House press secretary in 2020.

Viviana is her second child with husband Nicholas Riccio; they also share a son, Nicholas, aka Niko.

Karoline Leavitt’s New Baby Name Is Right on Brand for Gen Z

Leavitt’s choice for her daughter is right on brand for Gen Z, as data shows the younger generation is bringing back unique and older baby names.

A report from Nameberry in 2022 predicted that Gen Z-of which Leavitt is a member-would revolutionize names, drawing inspiration from a wider range of cultures and fandoms, with more adventurous spelling.

It also predicted that taste would return to the antique, with vintage names making a comeback. Ancestry reports that the name Viviana, which has origins rooted in Italian and Latin, first emerged during ancient times.

In the United States, the name Viviana was most popular in 2023, ranking 359th place as the most popular name for girls born in that year, as 846 Vivianas were born.

It dropped in popularity in the 2000s, ranked between 438 and 427 between 2001 and 2021, according to the Social Security Administration. However, it has slowly risen in popularity since then: ranked 384 in 2022, 359 in 2023, and 368 in 2024.

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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 4:30 AM.