The first name Olive
A girl’s name meaning “olive”.
2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Olive means “olive”.
Medieval form of the Latin saint's name Oliva "olive"; revived in the 19th century when flower and plant names became fashionable. The surname is topographical, often representing an Anglicization of continental European surnames such as Spanish Oliva.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 892 girls were named Olive, making it the 47th most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Olive with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Olive at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,597 girls born in the United States were named Olive, the 197th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 1,836 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Olive
26 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Olive ThomasAmerican silent film actress, model (1894–1920)
- Olive BordenAmerican actress (1906–1947)
- Olive DeeringAmerican actress (1918–1986)
- Olive TellAmerican actress (1894-1951)
- Olive CareyAmerican actress (1896–1988)
- Olive McKeanAmerican swimmer, Olympic bronze medalist, coach (1915-2006)
- Olive MorrisBritish community leader and Black feminist activist (1952-1979)
- Olive Lembe di SitaFormer First Lady of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, born 1976
- Olive DennisAmerican engineer (1885-1957)
- Olive OatmanAmerican living in Mormon, Tolkepaya, and Mohave societies after childhood kidnapping, 1837–1903
- Olive Ann AlcornAmerican actor, model and dancer (1900-1975)
- Olive Ann BeechAmerican businesswoman, 1904–1993
Questions
- What does the name Olive mean?
- Olive means “olive”.
- How popular is the name Olive?
- In 2025, 892 girls born in England and Wales were named Olive, ranking 47th.
- Is Olive a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 67,320 US babies named Olive since 1880 were girls.
- When was Olive most popular?
- 2022 in the United States, when 1,836 babies were named Olive, its highest rank at 159th.
- Is Olive also a surname?
- Yes. Olive is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.