Boy name · Latin
Oliver
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: olive treeOliver is a boy's name that comes from Latin and means "olive tree". It is used in English, Irish, Scottish, German and Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- Olive tree
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #3 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Oliver
As a boy's name, Oliver comes from Latin and means "olive tree". It is used in English, Irish, Scottish, German and Scandinavian.
Oliver is also a surname: the 278th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 109,817 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Oliver on our nature names list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Oliver on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Oliver on 3 lists.
“Gentle and classic, with Ollie as a ready nickname”
From Boy dog names, popular boy dog names
“Gentle, classic and a perennial favorite for boy cats”
From Cat names, popular cat names
“Possibly from Latin oliva, olive tree; Roland's companion in medieval epic. No. 3 for US boys in 2025”
From Classic boy names, traditional Latin and Greek boy names
How popular is Oliver?
- US rank in 2025
- #3
- 14,939 babies, 8,746 per million boys
- Best rank
- #3 in 2019
- Most babies: 15,396 in 2024
- Babies since 1880
- At least 269,903
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,088 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,784 per million |
| 1900s | 1,538 per million |
| 1910s | 1,297 per million |
| 1920s | 989 per million |
| 1930s | 635 per million |
| 1940s | 407 per million |
| 1950s | 247 per million |
| 1960s | 173 per million |
| 1970s | 226 per million |
| 1980s | 225 per million |
| 1990s | 337 per million |
| 2000s | 1,049 per million |
| 2010s | 5,220 per million |
| 2020s | 8,616 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12 | #10 | #5 | #3 | #3 | #3 | #3 | #3 | #3 | #3 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Oliver
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Olliecommon English nickname
- Olcommon English nickname
Other forms of Oliver
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- OlivierOlive tree (Latin, boy)
- OllieOlive tree (Latin, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- DaphneLaurel tree (Greek, girl)
- HadassahMyrtle tree (Hebrew, girl)
- IlanTree (Hebrew, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- OliveTree of peace (Latin, girl)
- YvonneYew tree (Germanic, girl)
- AlaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻalani, orange tree or fruit (Hawaiian, girl)
- AlonOak tree (Hebrew, boy)
Middle names for Oliver
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Latin
- LeoA lion (Latin, boy)
- MaxThe greatest (Latin, boy)
- AdrianFrom Hadria (Latin, boy)
- FelixLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
- MartinDedicated to Mars (Latin, boy)
- AugustExalted, venerable (Latin, boy)
- MagnusThe great (Latin, boy)
- MarcoOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- MarcusOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- PatrickNobleman, patrician (Latin, boy)
Oliver: common questions
What does the name Oliver mean?
Oliver comes from Latin and means "olive tree".
Is Oliver a boy or girl name?
Oliver is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 24 girls and 14,939 boys in the US were named Oliver, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Oliver?
Common nicknames for Oliver include Ollie and Ol.
How popular is the name Oliver?
Oliver ranked #3 in the US in 2025, with 14,939 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Oliver?
Forms of Oliver with the same meaning and origin include Olivier (French) and Ollie (English).
What middle names go with Oliver?
Middle names that flow well with Oliver include David, Ethan, Grant, Hugh and Lane. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.