Oliver Name Meaning

Oliver burst onto the top ten of the U.S. baby name charts with his stylish feel and friendly nature in 2017. The U.S. was late to the party, as the name was already roaring in popularity across the pond in the UK as well as down under in Australia.

Derived from “oliva” meaning “olive tree” in Latin as well as being an English surname, Oliver checks off several key boxes that make a successful name. He fits in with the surname style trend that’s been brewing for several years including Parker, Cooper, and Carter. He also has quite the precious nickname in Ollie. Best of all, he starts with a vowel, a contemporary cool factor seen in Owen, Aiden, and Elijah.

Oliver has a distinctly British feel in the States, similar to Benedict, Callum, and Harry. Such names feel effortlessly posh and handsome, leading their own low-key British Invasion like the Beatles in the 1960s. Literature lovers may recognize the name from character Oliver Wood in “Harry Potter” or “Oliver Twist,” a novel by Charles Dickens. He’s the quintessential little boy name, stirring up thoughts of tree forts and frog catching.

The name has many variants from the French Olivier to the Italian Olivero. He also has female versions in Olivia, Olivera, and Olive.

Infographic of Oliver name meaning, which is Derived from oliva meaning olive tree in Latin as well as an English surname, Oliver is a male name.
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Oliver Name Popularity

How popular is the name Oliver? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 102 279 0.0792%
1911 109 306 0.0822%
1912 116 612 0.1214%
1913 124 608 0.1072%
1914 122 835 0.1198%
1915 120 1,107 0.1218%
1916 128 1,074 0.1112%
1917 126 1,157 0.1156%
1918 130 1,232 0.1148%
1919 128 1,185 0.1132%
1920 135 1,143 0.1028%
1921 133 1,179 0.103%
1922 134 1,189 0.1067%
1923 136 1,200 0.1071%
1924 142 1,137 0.0979%
1925 151 1,024 0.0906%
1926 150 1,034 0.094%
1927 157 966 0.0873%
1928 161 907 0.0848%
1929 162 851 0.0822%
1930 168 826 0.0791%
1931 176 748 0.0758%
1932 182 707 0.0716%
1933 200 552 0.0592%
1934 181 706 0.073%
1935 198 606 0.0624%
1936 208 547 0.0568%
1937 206 555 0.0563%
1938 217 531 0.0519%
1939 209 556 0.0547%
1940 218 542 0.051%
1941 218 562 0.0499%
1942 230 579 0.0459%
1943 224 611 0.0468%
1944 241 529 0.0427%
1945 237 530 0.0435%
1946 254 570 0.0386%
1947 275 574 0.0344%
1948 262 588 0.0368%
1949 280 550 0.0342%
1950 284 518 0.0322%
1951 294 511 0.0301%
1952 304 512 0.0293%
1953 311 496 0.028%
1954 310 493 0.027%
1955 328 463 0.0252%
1956 341 437 0.0231%
1957 359 410 0.0213%
1958 362 420 0.0222%
1959 406 337 0.0177%
1960 414 327 0.0173%
1961 422 312 0.0165%
1962 439 283 0.0154%
1963 419 325 0.0181%
1964 419 329 0.0187%
1965 455 249 0.0152%
1966 401 310 0.0199%
1967 446 244 0.0161%
1968 427 278 0.0185%
1969 440 281 0.0182%
1970 430 314 0.0197%
1971 398 367 0.0244%
1972 421 316 0.0232%
1973 397 343 0.0265%
1974 424 300 0.0231%
1975 426 294 0.0229%
1976 428 288 0.0223%
1977 427 302 0.0224%
1978 363 402 0.0299%
1979 398 362 0.0257%
1980 420 340 0.0233%
1981 416 355 0.0242%
1982 380 412 0.0276%
1983 391 390 0.0264%
1984 421 343 0.0231%
1985 453 316 0.0208%
1986 488 277 0.0184%
1987 406 415 0.0272%
1988 433 391 0.0251%
1989 438 419 0.026%
1990 379 578 0.0349%
1991 405 522 0.032%
1992 361 618 0.0387%
1993 358 623 0.04%
1994 368 607 0.0396%
1995 396 547 0.0363%
1996 390 562 0.0375%
1997 368 632 0.0427%
1998 356 704 0.047%
1999 344 740 0.0494%
2000 306 944 0.0618%
2001 300 952 0.0632%
2002 270 1,136 0.0758%
2003 243 1,356 0.0891%
2004 229 1,462 0.0959%
2005 209 1,779 0.1164%
2006 173 2,341 0.1495%
2007 139 2,907 0.1842%
2008 118 3,597 0.2327%
2009 98 4,282 0.2865%
2010 88 4,663 0.3236%
2011 78 5,410 0.3797%
2012 73 5,917 0.4152%
2013 52 7,262 0.5101%
2014 33 9,428 0.6471%
2015 19 11,649 0.8006%
2016 12 13,025 0.9034%
2017 9 13,141 0.9415%
2018 5 13,389 0.9745%
2019 3 13,891 1.0261%
2020 3 13,829 1.0865%
2021 3 14,616 1.1957%
2022 3 14,727 1.1163%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Oliver

If you like Oliver, you’ll love these other names like Oliver.

What names are diminutives of Oliver?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Oliver sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Oliver, but shorter.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Noll

Olive tree

Latin

Oli
Olley

Olive tree

Latin

Ollie

Olive tree

Latin

What names are variants of Oliver?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Oliver.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Oliverio

Olive tree

Latin

Olivero

Olive tree

Latin

Olivier

Olive tree

Latin

Oliviero

Olive tree

Latin

Olivio

Olive tree

Latin

Olivor

Olive tree

Latin

Olliver

Olive tree

Latin

Ollivor

Olive tree

Latin

What names sound like Oliver?

If you like how Oliver sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Oliver.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Olaf

Ancestor's relic

Scandinavian

Olavi
Oleg

Holy

Russian

Olin

English

Olson

Son of Olaf

Scandinavian

Oscar

Friend of deer

Gaelic

Otto

Wealth

German

What names are similar to Oliver?

Find a name that’s like Oliver, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Benjamin

A favorite son

Hebrew

Brendan

Prince

Irish

Felix

Happy and lucky

Latin

Henry

Home ruler

English

Jasper

Treasurer

English

Leland

Plowed land

English

Levi

Joined together

Hebrew

Ronan

Little seal

Irish

Thomas

Twin

Greek

William

A willing protector

German

Lists With Oliver

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Oliver.

Siblings of Oliver

Mamas with kids named Oliver also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Clover

“She who clings lovingly.” From a Germanic base meaning “to adhere.” An allusion to the adhesive property of clover sap.

English

Frances

From France

Latin

Lilly

Lily flower

English

Ollie

Olive tree

Latin

Jessica

To see

English

Amara

Everlasting one

Greek

Daniella

God is my Judge

Italian

Callista

Cup; fairest, most beautiful

Latin

Ezra

Help

Hebrew

Jayden

Thankful one

Hebrew

Theo

God's gift

Greek

Oaklen

Oak meadow

American

Asher

Happy and blessed

Hebrew

Leilani

Heavenly flower

Polynesian

Preston

Priest's town

English

Teddy

Wealthy protector; brave people; God's gift

Greek

57 Comments

  1. We chose the name Oliver because of my husband’s family friend who was the SWEETEST and best man possible! He had such amazing character, the biggest heart, and was just all around the best guy anyone could have as a friend. He was mostly known as “Doss” and I never knew his first name unfortunately until his funeral when I read his name was Oliver and I told my husband “when we have our first baby boy I’d like to name him Oliver in memory of Doss” and that’s exactly what we did! <3

    Reply

  2. My husband and I had a really hard time deciding on a name for our second boy. Are first son is named Theodore and we call him Teddy, we both liked that name right away. We chose the name Oliver for our second because we both love the nickname Ollie and think that Theodore and Oliver are such good classic names.

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  3. It was an adorable name, with nicknames that didn’t annoy me, that our child can be young with and still grow with and that still sounds professional and nice and it fits my son very well

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  4. Oliver is my dad’s favorite grandfather’s middle name. It means “descendant of the ancestor” or bringer of peace, as in the Olive branch. It’s a classic name, and these are happily returning for the newer generations. Once we decided his name would be Oliver, I learned how popular it is for babies this year. Oh well! I chose it and the name stuck and we love it. The perfect name for out perfect little man.

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  5. I’m a fan of super hero comics, and one day was thinking of male superheroes & the name Oliver, which is Green Arrow’s name, popped into my head. I came up with my first born’s name in the same way (Kara, after Supergirl). I like Oliver because it has a classic yet sweet sound to it, makes me think of verdant things, and that it means olive tree, which in the Bible symbolizes fruitfulness.

    Reply

  6. All my kids are named after trees, hence Oliver for olive tree ?

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  7. It is a classic name that fit my baby’s face

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  8. A nod to my Mediterranean family roots. The olive tree is abundant in Lebanon and it is a very sacred plant. Olives are not only a delicious edible food, but they have so many powerful medicinal benefits. An olive branch is also a beautiful symbol of peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. So it’s also spiritually significant.

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  9. We just loved the name Oliver as we explored around testing out different names to match our surname & it suited our family!

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  10. I like Oliver it -not the nn Ollie!

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  11. We had the name Oliver picked out for our first born 10 years ago but she was a girl! With this baby, we liked a lot of boy names but I felt many were “taken” by friends. We weren’t sure if we still liked Oliver but then I happened to come across Oliver Twist and read the novel and loved the character. So Oliver it is!

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  12. loved old fashioned names

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  13. My fiance and I were naming off different names and I had seen the name Oliver at my job and honestly it’s not a name you hear much of. We both liked it so we decided to name our little one Oliver.
    I didn’t realize the artist Oliver Tree so it was the only thing I dislike about the name.

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  14. Just liked the name

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  15. Both my husband and I had a hard time agreeing on a name for our second son. We both liked Oliver and thought it fit well with our first born’s name, Theo.

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  16. My mom suggested it!

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  17. I’ve always loved the name Oliver. My Oliver is a symbol of peace in my life. He’s quite special!

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  18. I choose Oliver because it means Olive tree and Peace. Also, we like calling our son Ollie

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  19. We wanted something a little different, and the family names just didn’t go well with what we were looking for.

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  20. Paired well with the middle name we chose. Oliver Parker. And when we have a little girl we will name her Olivia.

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  21. Love the name and the nickname Ollie! Thought it was a fitting name for my chunky baby

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  22. We were looking for a name that wasn’t very common now a days. Once my husband mentioned the name Oliver I fell in love with it. One of the reasons I love it, my nickname from my family growing up was Lou bug. Now I have my Ollie bug. He is my greatest blessing

    Reply

  23. I just simply love the name, He is a twin, his brother is Teddy (Short for Edward) Ollie & Teddy sounds so nice to me. To be honest, I had never really thought about names, but the second I found out I was having kids I spring into action. My husband let me name both of them (He owns a successful software company and works a lot, I think he felt bad Lol.) I love being a stay-at-home mom, and Ollie is thriving along with his brother. And they give something to do with my days.

    Reply

  24. I chose Oliver because I wanted an old classic name

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  25. My hsuband and I were indecisive between Inaki, Iker and Oliver. We finally ended up with Oliver after looking up to definition for all three. Also, the name Oliver is meanful to us because we both have a good connection or memory with that name. Mu husband likes a kids show about soccer which is his favorite sport and the protagonist name is Oliver. In my case, the name Oliver takes me back to one of my favorite kids movies which still is Oliver and the Company.

    Reply

  26. Me and his father were just taking turns saying our favorite boy names, when he said Oliver I just knew that was my sons name. We played around with other names just in case, but I always kept going back to Oliver.

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  27. It was the only name we could agree on

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  28. Oliver is my late brother in law of whom died in a dirt bike accident in 2009. We named him after his uncle. Oliver was not due until March 11th but I had a partial placental abruption at 22 weeks and he was IUGR. HE ONLY WEIGHED 3LBS 15OZ when born he is upto 13lbs now and meeting all full term milestones

    Reply

  29. We chose Oliver Henry just because we liked it 🙂 We’ve been calling him henry though.

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  30. I like the name.

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  31. Oliver was an orthodox saint.

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  32. We chose oliver because it’s an older name, and I love old names. I already had a girl named Sadie.

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  33. Well I had twins but there isn’t an option for that. But there names are Oliver and Samantha. Oli and Sam for short. Unfortunately I didn’t choose there names there dad did bc I named our other son. But the names have grown on me..

    Reply

  34. My husband and I just agreed on this name early on. It just felt right for our boy. We liked that is not too “out there” but also a bit unique. We liked that it works in English and Spanish (we’re a bi-cultural family), and I especially liked that one of the meanings is “olive tree planter” and I wanted a name related to nature. Oliver is a great name! We call him “Ol?” or “Olibear”

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  35. it’s unique enough, but not weird and impossible to pronounce

    Reply

  36. His older brother’s name is charles, so I wanted a name that went along with it. I also love classic names. I searched tons of baby name lists, and when I saw Oliver it just stuck.
    For his middle name, Loki, we wanted to stick with the nordic god theme since His older brothers middle name is Odin

    Reply

  37. My boyfriend wanted a superhero, and that’s the only one we both liked and the only name we could agree on.

    Reply

  38. We needed an uncommon 3 syllable name for a boy that was short (Daniella complained about her name being hard to learn to spell when she was in preschool, so we took this into consideration).

    Reply

  39. We chose the name oliver because it’s cute and not a name you see every day. Plus ollie as a nickname is cute. We chose ryan because it just flowed with the first middle and last.

    Reply

  40. I chose Oliver for my son’s name because I’ve always loved the name but also because my
    favorite Disney movie growing up was Oliver and company

    Reply

  41. I was going to name him Wade but when he came he did not look a Wade. Oliver is more fitting and in the old world it means prosperous.

    Reply

  42. It was my Grandpa’s name.
    I was sad it has become so popular since we chose it in 2011 with our last baby (who ended up being a girl, so we used the girl name we had chosen)

    Reply

  43. I love it!

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  44. We wanted a name that people have heard of before but wasn’t very common. My husband wasn’t set on it at first but he loved the nickname Ollie. I told him we weren’t naming our kid Ollie cause one day he’ll grow up and need a more sophisticated name. So his name is Oliver but we call him Ollie.

    Reply

  45. His late grandfather’s middle name was Olie (pronounced OH-lee) and I fell in love with that, but I found out he hated his middle name. So we settled on Oliver and it fits him. His middle name is Matthew, after his late uncle (he passed very early in my pregnancy). We get a lot of compliments on how smoothly his name flows.

    Reply

  46. Oliver is my third boy! DS1 is Benjamin, DS2 is Rowen- shortly after finding out we were expecting again, I knew if he was a he, he’d have to have a name starting with an O!
    His middle name is Hudson & I’m honestly not sure how or where I came across it, but apparently Hudson was once a nickname for both Hugh and Richard. His middle name was originally going to be Hugh, after my grandfather! but my husband’s grandfather’s name is Richard… and so, when I found Hudson, it just kind of stuck!

    Reply

  47. We wanted a vintage name. Boys names are hard for me, but we really like this one. We call him Ollie!

    Reply

  48. It was my grandfather’s name, and the only boy name we had picked out for our last baby who ended up being a girl. Despite the rapid growth in popularity for the name over the last 8 years, we decided to keep it on the list for this last pregnancy. Since baby ended up being a boy.. Here we are. I’m a not disappointed it has become so popular, but love the name as much anyway.

    Reply

  49. We just loved the name! And we call him Ollie. Its a very sweet name.

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  50. Oliver was a name that popped up constantly around me out of all the names I had listed out that I liked. Oliver means “affectionate one” from the Nordic roots, which was perfect. My husband has Nordic roots and also he’s a red-head, which I feel Oliver is the perfect name for a (possibly) red-headed little boy!

    Reply

  51. We didn’t know any Oliver’s and loved the name. We also thought the nickname Ollie was very cute. The only thing we didn’t think of was that Holly and Ollie sound very similar so now I can never tell if they said my name or my sons, though I quickly realized that everyone just wants my sons attention and not mine anymore. Haha. We still don’t regret anything about the name and it’s absolutely perfect for spunky little redheaded, blue eyed son.

    Reply

  52. The only name my husband and I could agree on. It is such a cute name!

    Reply

  53. Mary Oliver is my favorite poet so I always loved the name Olivia for a girl or Oliver for a boy. When we saw his face in the sonogram, Oliver just felt right. Plus, Mary Oliver’s poems are all about nature and appreciating the life around you and the life you’re given, so we named him Oliver in the hopes that he will carry on the respect of nature in his life.

    Reply

  54. I have always loved Old English names! And it’s the only boy name my husband and I agreed upon this go around! We LOVE IT!

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  55. We love that we can call him “Ollie” for a nickname!

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  56. We didn’t know if baby was a boy or a girl. When I was in labor, my nurse referred to the baby as “little olive” before he was born. We had an entire list of boy names and girl names when we went to the hospital, but we ended up choosing Oliver after he arrived 🙂

    Reply

  57. My husband and I narrowed it down to about 7 names and tried each out for a week. We referred to the baby by the name of the week whenever we spoke about him. We both like Oliver during it’s assigned week and then moved onto the next name but quickly circled back to Oliver without even finishing all of the names on our list. It just felt right for us.

    Reply

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