Baby Names Oliver Name Meaning By Meena Azzollini Meena Azzollini Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Meena Azzollini is a health and wellness content creator with experience covering parenting, women's health, and mental health. She specializes in creating effective content for various health and wellness-based businesses and empowers them with words that make a connection with their audience. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 14, 2021 Fact checked by Emily Swaim Fact checked by Emily Swaim LinkedIn Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell. Learn about our editorial process Print Willie B. Thomas / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents How Popular Is the Name Oliver? Name Variations Similar Names Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Oliver Oliver is a well-known name with a variety of meanings in different languages. The name Oliver is derived from the old Norse name Áleifr, meaning “ancestor’s descendent.” Introduced by the Normans to England, the name also has roots in France. In French, olivier means "olive tree." It was later associated with the Latin word oliva, which means “olive.” The spelling of the name Olivier changed to Oliver, and it became a common medieval name in England. The olive tree has long been associated with peace, dignity, fruitfulness, and beauty. Origin: Oliver comes from Old Norse meaning “ancestor’s descendants.” It also stems from the Latin and French words for “olive” or “olive tree”, respectively.Gender: Oliver is commonly used as a boy name.Pronunciation: ahl-i-vehr Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best. How Popular Is the Name Oliver? Oliver was quite a popular name in the United States in 1900, when it was ranked at No. 95. Thereafter, It dropped to its lowest at No. 471 in 1986. However, the latest Social Security Administration data show promising results for the name Oliver. It ranked No. 32 in 2014 and is at its highest rank at No. 3 in 2020. According to SSA, the number of births with the name Oliver is 14,147, which represents 0.772% of total male births in 2020. Name Variations The following are variations of the name Oliver: Oilibhéar (Irish)Oilibhéir (Irish)Olivér (Hungarian)Óliver (Spanish)Olivier (French)Oliviero (Italian)Olívio (Portuguese)Oliwer (Polish)Oliwier (Polish) Similar Names Similar sounding names to Oliver: AlexanderAlistairDonovanEverettFraserOscarRiver Other names starting with O: Olin Oren Orion Otis Owen Suggested Sibling Names Looking for a sibling name for Oliver? Here are some popular suggestions: Abigail Alice Fredrick George Henry Isabella Olivia Thomas Famous People Named Oliver There are many famous people named Oliver throughout U.S. history. Oliver Cromwell, English general and statesman, who led armies against King Charles I during the English Civil WarOliver Goldsmith, Canadian 19th century poetOliver Heaviside, English mathematician and physicist who invented a new technique for solving differential equationsOliver Laurence North, American political commentator, television host, military historian, and authorOliver McCall, American professional boxer best known for winning the WBC heavyweight title in 1994Oliver Norvell Hardy, American comic actor and one half of the Laurel and Hardy double actOliver Platt, Canadian American actor who was nominated for many awards, including a Golden Globe Award and four Primetime Emmy AwardsOliver Stone, American filmmaker, director, and writer best known for the movie Scarface and war drama Platoon More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names in the U.S. 100 Gender-Neutral Baby Names 50 Viking Baby Names 1 Source Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Social Security Administration. Popularity of name. By Meena Azzollini Meena Azzollini is a health and wellness content creator with experience covering parenting, women's health, and mental health. She specializes in creating effective content for various health and wellness-based businesses and empowers them with words that make a connection with their audience. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit