Oliver Boy

Popularity: #3 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: OL-iv-er /ˈɒlɪvər/

Origin: Latin; Old French; Germanic

Meaning: Latin: olive tree; Old French: descendant of the ancestor; Germanic: elf army

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Oliver is derived from the Latin name 'Oliverius,' which is believed to have originated from the Latin word 'oliva,' meaning 'olive.' The olive tree has long been a symbol of peace and prosperity, and its association with these qualities may have contributed to the name's appeal. The transition of the name into English occurred through Old French, where it appeared as 'Olivier' during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, subsequently evolving into the Middle English form 'Oliver.' This linguistic journey reflects the broader cultural exchanges between the Romans, the Franks, and the Anglo-Saxons.

Historically, the name Oliver gained prominence in the medieval period, particularly due to its association with various saints and notable figures. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name in England can be traced back to the 12th century, with Saint Oliver Plunkett, an Irish martyr canonized in the 20th century, further solidifying its religious significance.

The name also appears in literary works, most notably in the 19th century with Charles Dickens' character Oliver Twist, which has contributed to its enduring presence in English literature. Culturally, the name Oliver has been associated with nobility and virtue, often linked to the qualities of wisdom and peace, reflective of the olive branch's symbolism.

The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Ollie, which have been used affectionately throughout history. Overall, Oliver's rich etymological roots and historical associations have allowed it to maintain a significant place in various cultural contexts.

Famous people named Oliver

In this section, you will find notable people named Oliver. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Oliver who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Oliver who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Oliver Twist is a fictional character best known for the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Oliver Stone is a filmmaker best known for Platoon, JFK, and Natural Born Killers.

Oliver Hudson is an actor best known for Rules of Engagement, Nashville, and The Christmas Chronicles.

Oliver Reed is an actor best known for The Devils, Gladiator, and Women in Love.

Oliver Sacks is a neurologist and author best known for Awakenings, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and Musicophilia.

Oliver Platt is an actor best known for The Three Musketeers, Lakeview Terrace, and The Big Night.

Oliver Kahn is a former footballer best known for his time with Bayern Munich and the German national team.

Oliver Jeffers is an artist and author best known for children's books such as Lost and Found, The Day the Crayons Quit, and How to Catch a Star.

Oliver Phelps is an actor best known for his role as George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series.

Oliver North is a former U.S. Marine and political commentator best known for his role in the Iran-Contra affair.

Fictional characters named Oliver

The following list of fictional characters named Oliver is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Oliver Twist is a fictional character from the novel Oliver Twist. He is a young orphan who navigates the harsh realities of life in Victorian England.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Oliver, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EthanLucasHenryJamesCharlotteAmelia

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Oliver. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

OwenOscarOliverioOmarOrenOrsonOdinOllie

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Oliver was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Oliver has ranked as high as #3 nationally, which occurred in 2024, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Oliver has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Oliver is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Oliver was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Oliver.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 14,963 14,939 24
2024 15,421 15,396 25
2023 14,820 14,792 28
2022 15,204 15,176 28
2021 14,739 14,713 26
2020 14,300 14,277 23
2019 13,989 13,967 22
2018 13,519 13,500 19
2017 13,239 13,224 15
2016 13,084 13,066 18
2015 11,690 11,670 20
2014 9,466 9,453 13
2013 7,288 7,276 12
2012 5,933 5,924 9
2011 5,423 5,414 9
2010 4,673 4,666 7
2009 4,294 4,287 7
2008 3,615 3,604 11
2007 2,917 2,910 7
2006 2,352 2,352 0
2005 1,794 1,794 0
2004 1,497 1,491 6
2003 1,380 1,375 5
2002 1,171 1,166 5
2001 978 978 0
2000 978 978 0
1999 782 782 0
1998 740 735 5
1997 669 669 0
1996 607 607 0
1995 597 597 0
1994 644 644 0
1993 670 665 5
1992 664 664 0
1991 582 582 0
1990 625 625 0
1989 460 460 0
1988 441 441 0
1987 466 460 6
1986 344 338 6
1985 371 371 0
1984 404 397 7
1983 435 435 0
1982 455 455 0
1981 409 403 6
1980 400 393 7
1979 408 408 0
1978 430 422 8
1977 345 338 7
1976 342 337 5
1975 355 355 0
1974 347 347 0
1973 381 374 7
1972 373 368 5
1971 422 416 6
1970 367 367 0
1969 335 328 7
1968 332 325 7
1967 291 291 0
1966 342 337 5
1965 303 303 0
1964 368 368 0
1963 357 357 0
1962 312 312 0
1961 349 349 0
1960 370 370 0
1959 378 370 8
1958 453 453 0
1957 452 452 0
1956 488 483 5
1955 508 508 0
1954 537 537 0
1953 529 521 8
1952 566 555 11
1951 552 552 0
1950 556 556 0
1949 603 597 6
1948 642 631 11
1947 629 624 5
1946 625 619 6
1945 563 558 5
1944 572 565 7
1943 683 668 15
1942 617 612 5
1941 601 601 0
1940 589 582 7
1939 604 598 6
1938 568 568 0
1937 615 609 6
1936 591 591 0
1935 656 647 9
1934 741 732 9
1933 595 595 0
1932 747 741 6
1931 784 778 6
1930 859 850 9
1929 897 886 11
1928 941 933 8
1927 1,014 1,002 12
1926 1,070 1,065 5
1925 1,062 1,049 13
1924 1,183 1,172 11
1923 1,231 1,221 10
1922 1,224 1,214 10
1921 1,204 1,194 10
1920 1,175 1,164 11
1919 1,220 1,209 11
1918 1,258 1,248 10
1917 1,185 1,175 10
1916 1,118 1,103 15
1915 1,140 1,131 9
1914 873 861 12
1913 644 644 0
1912 653 646 7
1911 338 333 5
1910 307 307 0
1909 246 246 0
1908 207 207 0
1907 207 207 0
1906 183 183 0
1905 220 211 9
1904 200 200 0
1903 210 210 0
1902 181 181 0
1901 187 187 0
1900 256 256 0
1899 161 161 0
1898 186 186 0
1897 174 174 0
1896 194 194 0
1895 216 216 0
1894 222 222 0
1893 214 214 0
1892 238 238 0
1891 212 212 0
1890 218 218 0
1889 210 210 0
1888 206 206 0
1887 203 203 0
1886 230 230 0
1885 258 258 0
1884 245 245 0
1883 219 219 0
1882 244 244 0
1881 238 238 0
1880 234 234 0

Top States for Oliver (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 1,544
10%
TX 1,314
9%
FL 840
5%
NY 673
4%
OH 617
4%
PA 597
4%
IL 556
4%
NC 536
3%
GA 460
3%
MI 454
3%
WA 448
3%
TN 427
3%
MO 425
3%
IN 397
3%
VA 391
3%
CO 367
2%
MA 346
2%
AZ 343
2%
MN 325
2%
WI 314
2%
NJ 309
2%
UT 285
2%
KY 244
2%
OR 237
2%
SC 216
1%
MD 211
1%
OK 210
1%
IA 192
1%
AL 181
1%
KS 174
1%
CT 170
1%
LA 160
1%
AR 159
1%
ID 143
1%
NE 137
1%
NV 109
1%
WV 102
1%
NH 90
1%
ME 79
1%
MS 68
0%
NM 59
0%
MT 58
0%
ND 56
0%
SD 52
0%
AK 52
0%
DE 44
0%
RI 44
0%
DC 37
0%
VT 34
0%
HI 30
0%
WY 27
0%