Oliver
PopularA boy's name meaning of uncertain origin, associated with the olive tree.
Approved in Estados Unidos. Oliver is on the official SSA list of names you can register. In the national top 20 of 2025.
Origin
Of uncertain origin. It comes from Old French Olivier, whose root is debated: it may connect to Latin oliva ("olive tree") or represent a Germanic form of Old Norse Áleifr (the same root as Olaf), with the spelling later drawn toward the Latin word for olive.
Story
It gained prominence in medieval Europe through the French epic The Song of Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero Roland. In England it fell out of favor in the 17th century through its link to Oliver Cromwell, and it grew popular again in the 19th century, partly thanks to Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist.
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Get startedSources & references
- Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications · SSA · ssa.gov (approved-name list & birth statistics)
- Behind the Name · Oliver
- Wiktionary · Oliver