Boy · #3 in 2026

Oliver

Oliver is a masculine given name of Old French and Medieval British origin. The name has been generally associated with the Latin term olivarius, meaning "olive tree planter", or "olive branch bearer". Other proposed origins include the Germanic names *wulfa- "wolf" and *harja- "army", the Old Norse Óleifr and the Anglo-Saxon Alfhere.

  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
Current Rank
#3
Peak Rank
#3 (2026)
Total Babies
286K
5-Yr Trend
+9%
1905
First Year
2026
Last Year
2022
Peak Year
#1298
Peak Rank
807
Total Count
78
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Oliver

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Oliver is a masculine given name of Old French and Medieval British origin. The name has been generally associated with the Latin term olivarius, meaning "olive tree planter", or "olive branch bearer". Other proposed origins include the Germanic names *wulfa- "wolf" and *harja- "army", the Old Norse Óleifr and the Anglo-Saxon Alfhere.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Estonian
  • Catalan
  • Serbian
  • Croatian
  • Macedonian
  • Slovene
  • Czech
  • Slovak
  • Carolingian Cycle
  • Icelandic
  • Spanish
  • Hungarian

The Story of Oliver

Oliver first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 234 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 15,491 Olivers were born — ranking #3 that year. As of 2026, Oliver ranks #3 for baby boys with 15,491 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 286K Olivers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Oliver

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Oliver. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Where is Oliver most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • United States
    45%
  • United Kingdom
    17%
  • New Zealand
    16%
  • Australia
    14%
  • Brazil
    8%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Oliver

Phonetically similar names — useful when Oliver is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Oliver

What does the name Oliver mean?
Oliver is a masculine given name of Old French and Medieval British origin. The name has been generally associated with the Latin term olivarius, meaning "olive tree planter", or "olive branch bearer". Other proposed origins include the Germanic names *wulfa- "wolf" and *harja- "army", the Old Norse Óleifr and the Anglo-Saxon Alfhere.
What is the origin of the name Oliver?
Oliver has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian Cycle, Icelandic, Spanish, Hungarian.
How popular is Oliver in 2026?
In 2026, Oliver ranks #3 among boys' names in the U.S., with 15,491 babies given the name that year.
When was Oliver most popular?
Oliver reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #3 that year with 15,491 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Oliver most popular?
Oliver has historically been most popular in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Oliver.
Is Oliver a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Oliver is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Oliver?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Oliver include Joshua, William, Charles. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Oliver?
Common variants and related forms of Oliver include Oli, Olivier, Olle, Ollie, Olly. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Oliver

Oliver is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 286K births in the dataset. Oliver's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #3. Use the chart and map above to compare Oliver's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.