Mostly boys · Germanic, Latin

Oliver

“elf army; ancestor's relic; olive tree”

Say it AHL-ih-vurPronunciation may vary by region.

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A little maybe, saved for later.

The story behind the name

Meet Oliver.

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts throughout the English-speaking world and in a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to Switzerland. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness.

Oliver derives from Olivier, the Norman French variation of the Ancient Germanic name Alfihar ("elf army") or the Old Norse Áleifr ("ancestor's relic"), from which comes Olaf. Olivier emerged as the dominant spelling for its associations with the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive tree."

Oliver was used as a given name in medieval England after the spread of the French epic poem La Chanson de Roland, which features a character named Olivier. It lost favor after the seventeenth century rule of Oliver Cromwell, then was revived in the nineteenth century.

A little perspective

How popular is Oliver?

United States · 2025
Girls · 2025#5,35924 recorded births
Boys · 2025#314,939 recorded births

Recorded US births over time

2014202515,3960
● Girls● Boys
View the numbers behind the chart
YearCategoryUS rankBirths
2025Boys314,939
2025Girls5,35924
2024Boys315,396
2024Girls5,25925
2023Boys314,792
2023Girls4,84028
2022Boys315,176
2022Girls4,87528
2021Boys314,713
2021Girls5,06026
2020Boys314,277
2020Girls5,44923
2019Boys313,967
2019Girls5,74922
2018Boys513,500
2018Girls6,45419
2017Boys1013,224
2017Girls7,74815
2016Boys1213,066
2016Girls6,84618
2015Boys1911,670
2015Girls6,40620
2014Boys329,453
2014Girls8,84213

Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.

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Nicknames

No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.

Variations & related forms

OilibhearOlivierOlivieroOliverioOlivierosOliwjerOllieNollOlliverOllyverOlyver

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If you love Oliver…

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