Olivia
Olivia is a feminine given name in the English language. It is derived from Latin oliva, olive. Both Oliva and Olivia were Latinate forms in use in English-speaking countries as early as the 13th century. Olive was in common use as a vernacular form. Though not invented by William Shakespeare, the name was popularized by a character in Twelfth Night.
- English
- Italian
- Spanish
- French
Meaning & Origin of Olivia
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Olivia is a feminine given name in the English language. It is derived from Latin oliva, olive. Both Oliva and Olivia were Latinate forms in use in English-speaking countries as early as the 13th century. Olive was in common use as a vernacular form. Though not invented by William Shakespeare, the name was popularized by a character in Twelfth Night.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Italian
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Finnish
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Dutch
- Portuguese
- Slovak
- Hungarian
The Story of Olivia
Olivia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 44 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 19,836 Olivias were born — ranking #2 that year. As of 2026, Olivia ranks #1 for baby girls with 14,057 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 582K Olivias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Olivia
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Olivia. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Olivia
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Olivia of Palermo (448–463), Christian martyr
- Olivia Addams (born 1996), Romanian singer and songwriter
- Olivia Ahn , British medical doctor
- Olivia Alexander (born 1988), American actress
- Olivia Allison (born 1990), English swimmer
- Olivia Amoako (born 1985), Ghanaian footballer
- Olivia Anderson (born 1987), South African cricketer
- Olivia Apps (born 1998), Canadian rugby and sevens player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Olivia
Phonetically similar names — useful when Olivia 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 Olivia
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About the name Olivia
Olivia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 582K births in the dataset. Olivia's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #1. Use the chart and map above to compare Olivia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.