boy's name
Oliver
OL-ih-ver
- Origin Norman French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 470,908
the United States
#3
2025 births
Oliver is a boy's name that entered England with the Normans and has a genuinely disputed origin. It may come from the Old Norse Áleifr, the source of Olaf, or from the Latin oliva, meaning olive tree. The two theories have never been fully reconciled.
- Oliver is a name of Norman French origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 15,421 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 222 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Oliver over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,287 |
| 1890s | 2,035 |
| 1900s | 2,097 |
| 1910s | 8,736 |
| 1920s | 11,001 |
| 1930s | 6,760 |
| 1940s | 6,124 |
| 1950s | 5,019 |
| 1960s | 3,359 |
| 1970s | 3,770 |
| 1980s | 4,185 |
| 1990s | 6,580 |
| 2000s | 20,976 |
| 2010s | 98,304 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 89,447 |
What Oliver means
Oliver is most often given the meaning "olive tree," from the Latin oliva, though this may reflect later reshaping rather than the name's true root. If the Old Norse derivation is correct, the underlying sense is closer to "ancestor's descendant."
Where Oliver comes from
Oliver reached England as the Norman French Olivier, and where that form came from is contested. One theory derives it from the Old Norse Áleifr, formed from elements meaning ancestor and heir, which also produced Olaf — plausible given the Norse settlement of Normandy. Another treats it as a straightforward Romance formation from the Latin oliva, olive tree. A likely resolution is that a Germanic or Norse name was reshaped in French under the influence of the familiar word for olive. The name gained standing through the Chanson de Roland, the eleventh-century French epic in which Olivier is Roland's level-headed companion, and it arrived in England with the Conquest.
Oliver in use
Oliver and Olivia share the same disputed root, arriving in English several centuries apart.
How popular is Oliver?
In 2025, Oliver was given to 14,963 babies in the United States, ranking #3 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Oliver is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Oliver
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Oliver also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Oliver over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Oliver
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Oliver in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Oliver
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Oliver — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Oliver
What does the name Oliver mean?
Oliver is usually translated as "olive tree," though its root is disputed and may instead be the Old Norse Áleifr.
Are Oliver and Olivia related?
Yes. Olivia is generally treated as a feminine form of Oliver and shares its disputed origin.
What are nicknames for Oliver?
Ollie and Oli are the most common short forms.
How popular is the name Oliver?
In 2025, Oliver was given to 14,963 babies in the United States, ranking #3 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Oliver a girl's or a boy's name?
Oliver is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Oliver?
Oliver has 3 syllables.
When was Oliver most popular?
Oliver peaked in 2024, when 15,421 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Oliver a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Oliver currently ranks #3 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.