Boy nameCurrently #3 in the USSteady
Oliver
OL-ih-ver//ˈɒlɪvər//
3 syllablesPeak year: 20246 lettersStarts with O
Meaning & origin
Olive tree, or descendant of the ancestor
Oliver most likely comes from the Latin 'oliva', the olive tree, a symbol of peace, though some scholars trace it through Old Norse or Germanic roots meaning 'descendant of the ancestor'. Famous from Dickens's orphan hero Oliver Twist, it has become one of the most popular boys' names in the English-speaking world in the 21st century.
Oliver's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Oliver |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 234 |
| 1881 | 238 |
| 1882 | 244 |
| 1883 | 219 |
| 1884 | 245 |
| 1885 | 258 |
| 1886 | 230 |
| 1887 | 203 |
| 1888 | 206 |
| 1889 | 210 |
| 1890 | 218 |
| 1891 | 212 |
| 1892 | 238 |
| 1893 | 214 |
| 1894 | 222 |
| 1895 | 216 |
| 1896 | 194 |
| 1897 | 174 |
| 1898 | 186 |
| 1899 | 161 |
| 1900 | 256 |
| 1901 | 187 |
| 1902 | 181 |
| 1903 | 210 |
| 1904 | 200 |
| 1905 | 220 |
| 1906 | 183 |
| 1907 | 207 |
| 1908 | 207 |
| 1909 | 246 |
| 1910 | 307 |
| 1911 | 338 |
| 1912 | 653 |
| 1913 | 644 |
| 1914 | 873 |
| 1915 | 1,140 |
| 1916 | 1,118 |
| 1917 | 1,185 |
| 1918 | 1,258 |
| 1919 | 1,220 |
| 1920 | 1,175 |
| 1921 | 1,204 |
| 1922 | 1,224 |
| 1923 | 1,231 |
| 1924 | 1,183 |
| 1925 | 1,062 |
| 1926 | 1,070 |
| 1927 | 1,014 |
| 1928 | 942 |
| 1929 | 896 |
| 1930 | 859 |
| 1931 | 784 |
| 1932 | 747 |
| 1933 | 595 |
| 1934 | 741 |
| 1935 | 656 |
| 1936 | 591 |
| 1937 | 615 |
| 1938 | 568 |
| 1939 | 604 |
| 1940 | 589 |
| 1941 | 601 |
| 1942 | 617 |
| 1943 | 683 |
| 1944 | 572 |
| 1945 | 563 |
| 1946 | 625 |
| 1947 | 629 |
| 1948 | 642 |
| 1949 | 603 |
| 1950 | 556 |
| 1951 | 552 |
| 1952 | 566 |
| 1953 | 529 |
| 1954 | 537 |
| 1955 | 507 |
| 1956 | 488 |
| 1957 | 452 |
| 1958 | 453 |
| 1959 | 379 |
| 1960 | 370 |
| 1961 | 348 |
| 1962 | 312 |
| 1963 | 358 |
| 1964 | 367 |
| 1965 | 303 |
| 1966 | 342 |
| 1967 | 290 |
| 1968 | 332 |
| 1969 | 336 |
| 1970 | 366 |
| 1971 | 422 |
| 1972 | 373 |
| 1973 | 381 |
| 1974 | 347 |
| 1975 | 355 |
| 1976 | 341 |
| 1977 | 345 |
| 1978 | 430 |
| 1979 | 408 |
| 1980 | 400 |
| 1981 | 409 |
| 1982 | 455 |
| 1983 | 434 |
| 1984 | 404 |
| 1985 | 371 |
| 1986 | 344 |
| 1987 | 467 |
| 1988 | 440 |
| 1989 | 460 |
| 1990 | 625 |
| 1991 | 582 |
| 1992 | 664 |
| 1993 | 670 |
| 1994 | 643 |
| 1995 | 597 |
| 1996 | 607 |
| 1997 | 669 |
| 1998 | 740 |
| 1999 | 782 |
| 2000 | 978 |
| 2001 | 978 |
| 2002 | 1,171 |
| 2003 | 1,379 |
| 2004 | 1,497 |
| 2005 | 1,793 |
| 2006 | 2,352 |
| 2007 | 2,917 |
| 2008 | 3,615 |
| 2009 | 4,294 |
| 2010 | 4,671 |
| 2011 | 5,422 |
| 2012 | 5,931 |
| 2013 | 7,287 |
| 2014 | 9,463 |
| 2015 | 11,687 |
| 2016 | 13,083 |
| 2017 | 13,239 |
| 2018 | 13,518 |
| 2019 | 13,986 |
| 2020 | 14,298 |
| 2021 | 14,733 |
| 2022 | 15,189 |
| 2023 | 14,810 |
| 2024 | 15,368 |
Oliver through the decades
- Oliver peaked in 2024, when 15,368 babies were named Oliver in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Oliver has risen 193% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Oliver currently ranks #3 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Ollie
Variants & spellings
Olivier
Famous people named Oliver
- Oliver Twist — Dickens character