The first nameOliver
A boy’s name meaning “ancestral + relic”, “all”, “true”.
Pronounced /ˈɑlɪvɚ/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Oliver means “ancestral + relic”, “all”, “true”.
Inherited from Middle English Oliver, from Old French Olivier, by folk etymology derived from the Latin name Olīvārius, but probably representing an Old High German form of Old Norse Óleifr (“ancestral + relic”) (modern Danish Olaf and Swedish Olof), or Proto-Germanic *ala- (“all”) + *wēraz (“true”) (modern Swedish allvar). Name of a paladin of Charlemagne in medieval French romance.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3,154 boys were named Oliver, making it the 6th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2010, with 8,427 births (#1).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Oliver with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Oliver at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 14,939 boys born in the United States were named Oliver, the 3rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 15,396 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.
Oliver in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Oliver in Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Indonesian, Norwegian, Romanian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Oliver
208 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Oliver CromwellEnglish military and political leader (1599–1658)
- Oliver StoneAmerican film director, screenwriter, and producer (born 1946)
- Oliver GoldsmithAnglo-Irish writer, poet, and physician (d. 1774)
- Oliver KahnGerman association football player (born 1969)
- Oliver HeavisideElectrical engineer, mathematician and physicist (1850–1925)
- Oliver Wendell HolmesAmerican poet and physician (1809–1894)
- Oliver E. WilliamsonAmerican economist (1932–2020)
- Oliver HardyAmerican comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy (1892–1957)
- Oliver SacksBritish neurologist and writer (1933–2015)
- Oliver SmithiesBiochemistry, genetics, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007
- Oliver HartBritish-born American economist, born 1948
- Oliver BierhoffGerman association football official and former player, born 1968
Questions
- What does the name Oliver mean?
- Oliver means “ancestral + relic”, “all”, “true”.
- How popular is the name Oliver?
- In 2025, 3,154 boys born in England and Wales were named Oliver, ranking 6th. Its peak was 2010, with 8,427 births.
- What are nicknames for Oliver?
- Common nicknames for Oliver include Ollie, Olly, Noll, Oli, Nolly.