Oliver (Serbian Cyrillic and Macedonian Cyrillic: Оливер) 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".Barton Sholod, "Charlemagne in Spain. The Cultural Legacy of Roncesvalles", p. 144 Other proposed origins include the Germanic names "wolf" and "army",Modern Oliver gtb.inl.nl the Old Norse Óleifr (a genuinely West Germanic name, perhaps from ala "all" & wēra "true"—possibly cognate with Álvaro) and the Anglo-Saxon Alfhere.
Oliver is one of Charlemagne's retainers in the 11th-century Song of Roland. The name was introduced to England by the Normans, where its form was possibly influenced again by its Anglo-Saxon cognate Alfhere.. The webpage cited the following book: It was commonly used in medieval England, but became rare after the Restoration because of the unpopularity of Oliver Cromwell. The name was revived in the 19th century, possibly inspired by the title character of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist (1838). Pet forms of the English given name include Ollie and, in medieval times, Noll.
Modern variants include French Olivier, Hungarian Olivér, Indonesian Oliver, Irish Oilibhéar or Oilibhéir, Scottish Gaelic Oilbhreis, Portuguese Olivério, Italian Oliviero, Spanish Oliverio, and Polish Oliwier or Oliwer.
In 2015, Oliver was the most popular given name for boys in Australia. From 2013 to 2017, Oliver was the most popular given name for baby boys born in England.
In 2022, in the United States, the name Oliver was given to 15,076 boys, making it the third most popular name. Also in 2022, it was the sixth most popular name given to boys in Canada.
The name Oliver is on the list of the 50 most common male names in Croatia. In 2023, 116 Olivers were born in Croatia, and according to the latest census, there are currently 1,719 people living in Croatia with that name.
Variants American English: Amharic: Breton: Corsican: Danish: Dutch: , English: , Faroese: , French: Galician: Gascon: , , Greek: Hawaiian: Hungarian: Icelandic: , Indonesian: Irish: , Italian: , , , Languedocien: , Latin: Latvian: , Lithuanian: Maltese: Māori: Norwegian: Old Catalan: Old French: Polish: , Portuguese: , Quebec French: Russian: Samoan: Sardinian: Scottish Gaelic: Spanish: , Swedish: Swiss German: Tongan: Ukrainian: Welsh:
People
A Oliver Abildgaard (born 1996), Danish footballer Oliver Acii (born 1970), Ugandan sprinter Oliver Ackermann (born 1976), American musician Oliver Ackland (born 1979), Australian actor Oliver Acquah (born 1946), Ghanaian footballer Oliver Adler (born 1967), German footballer Oliver Agapito (born 1973), Filipino basketball player Oliver Batali Albino (1935–2020), South Sudanese politician Oliver Alke (born 1970), German table tennis player Oliver Allen (disambiguation) Oliver Allison (1908–1989), English missionary Oliver Almadro, Filipino volleyball coach Oliver Almond, English priest Oliver Ames (disambiguation) Oliver Anderson (born 1998), Australian tennis player and coach Oliver Anketell, Irish politician Oliver Anthony (born 1992), American musician Oliver Antman (born 2001), Finnish footballer Oliver Cromwell Applegate (1845–1938), American politician Oliver Aquino (born 1989), Filipino actor Oliver Vernon Aplin (1858–1940), British ornithologist Oliver Arblaster (born 2004), English footballer Oliver Arms (born 1970), American painter Oliver Rendell Arton (1916–2011), Bermudian banker Oliver Askew (born 1996), Swedish-American race car driver Oliver F. Atkins (1917–1977), American photographer Oliver August, English corporate executive Oliver Augustini (born 1990), Slovak footballer Oliver L. Austin (1903–1988), American ornithologist Oliver R. Avison (1860–1959), Canadian doctor Oliver Axnick (born 1970), German curler
B Oliver Babic (born 1994), Danish badminton player Oliver Backhouse (1875–1943), English naval officer Oliver Badman (1885–1977), Australian politician Oliver Bailey (born 1982), English cricketer Oliver Baker (1856–1939), English painter Oliver Keith Baker (born 1959), American physicist Oliver Balch, British author Oliver Baldwin (1899–1958), British politician Oliver Barbosa (born 1986), Filipino chess grandmaster Oliver Barclay (1919–2013), British academic Oliver Barnett (born 1966), American football player Oliver Barrett (disambiguation) Oliver Barth (born 1979), German footballer Oliver Batchelor (born 1996), English cricketer Oliver Bäte (born 1965), German corporate executive Oliver Bateman (1923–2012), American politician Oliver Battcock (1903–1970), English cricketer Oliver Bauchau, American aerospace engineer Oliver Baumann (born 1990), German footballer Oliver Roberto Bazzani (1941-2016), Brazilian footballer Oliver Bearman (born 2005), British racing driver Oliver Beer (disambiguation) Oliver Bekker (born 1984), South African golfer Oliver Bell (born 2004), American actor Oliver Belmont (1858–1908), American socialite Oliver Baez Bendorf (born 1987), American poet Oliver Bendt (born 1946), German singer Oliver Bengough (born 1975), British entrepreneur Oliver Benítez (born 1991), Argentinian footballer Oliver Bennett (born 1992), British racing driver Oliver Bennett (cricketer) (1889–1977), Trinidadian cricketer Oliver Berg (born 1993), Norwegian footballer Oliver Bernard (1925–2013), English poet Oliver Percy Bernard (1881–1939), English architect Oliver Berntzon (born 1993), Swedish racing driver Oliver F. Berry (1908–1991), American military officer Oliver Bertram (1910–1975), English racing driver Oliver Bevan (born 1941), English artist Oliver Bias (born 2001), German footballer Oliver Bierhoff (born 1968), German footballer Oliver Mowat Biggar (1876–1948), Canadian lawyer Oliver Biles (born 1990), British actor Oliver Bimber (born 1973), German computer scientist Oliver Bjerrehuus (born 1975), Danish model Oliver Bjerrum Jensen (born 2002), Danish footballer Oliver Bjorkstrand (born 1995), Danish ice hockey player Oliver Blake (1802–1873), Canadian businessman Oliver Blume (born 1968), German corporate executive Oliver Boberg (born 1965), German artist Oliver Bocking (born 1996), English cricketer Óliver Bocos (born 1982), Spanish footballer Oliver Bodington (1859–1936), English barrister Oliver Bogatinov (born 1978), Slovenian football manager Oliver Bohm (born 1992), Swedish ice hockey player Oliver Bond (1760–1798), Irish merchant Oliver James Bond (1865–1933), American educator Oliver Bone (born 1981), Canadian sailor Oliver Bonk (born 2005), Canadian ice hockey player Oliver Boot (born 1979), English actor Oliver Bosbyshell (1839–1921), American military officer and superintendent of the United States Mint in Philadelphia Oliver Bowen (1942–2000), Canadian engineer Oliver Bowles (??–1646), English minister Oliver Bozanic (born 1989), Australian footballer Oliver Braddick (1944–2022), British psychologist Oliver Bradwell (born 1992), American sprinter Oliver Ernesto Branch (1847–1916), American politician Oliver Winslow Branch (1879–1956), American judge Oliver Braude (born 2004), Norwegian footballer Oliver Brennand (born 1986), English rugby union footballer Oliver Sylvain Baliol Brett (1881–1963), British politician Oliver Bright Jr., Liberian politician Oliver Bromby (born 1998), English sprinter Oliver Bronson (1799–1875), American physician Oliver Brooks (1889–1940), English soldier Oliver Broome (born 1937), Barbadian cricketer Oliver Broumis (born 1964), German actor Oliver Brown (disambiguation) Oliver Browne, English furniture maker Oliver Brownson (1746–1815), American composer Oliver Bryant (born 1995), English rugby union footballer Oliver Bryson (1896–1977), English air force officer Oliver Bub (born 1998), American rower Oliver Buchmueller, English scientist Oliver Ellsworth Buckley (1887–1959), American electrical engineer Oliver Prince Buel (1838–1899), American lawyer Oliver Buff (born 1992), Swiss footballer Oliver Bulleid (1882–1970), British engineer Oliver Bullough (born 1977), British writer Oliver Bulman (1902–1974), British paleontologist Oliver Bell Bunce (1828–1890), American author Oliver Bundgaard (born 2001), Danish footballer Oliver D. Burden (1873–1947), American lawyer Oliver Burgess (born 1981), English footballer Oliver Burke (disambiguation) Oliver Burkeman (born 1976), British journalist Oliver Burton (1879–1929), English footballer Oliver Robert Hawke Bury (1861–1946), English engineer Oliver Butterworth (disambiguation) Oliver Byerly (1840–1929), American politician Oliver Byrne (disambiguation) Oliver Doud Byron (1842–1920), American actor
C Oliver Callan (born 1980), Irish vocalist Oliver Camenzind (born 1972), Swiss footballer Oliver Campbell (1871–1953), American tennis player Oliver Carlson (1899–1991), American activist Oliver Carmichael (1891–1966), American academic administrator Oliver Carminow (??–1597), English politician Oliver Carter (disambiguation) Oliver Caruso (born 1974), German weightlifter Oliver Cary (1752–1846), Irish priest Oliver Casey (born 2000), English footballer Oliver A. Caswell (1826–1885), American politician Oliver Celestin (born 1981), American football player Oliver Chace (1769–1852), American businessman Oliver Newberry Chaffee (1881–1944), American painter Oliver P. Chandler (1807–1895), American politician Oliver Chapoy, American musician Oliver Cheatham (1948–2013), American singer Oliver Cheshire (born 1988), English fashion model Oliver Chesler (born 1970), American music artist Oliver Chesterton (1913–2007), British businessman Oliver Chinganya, Zambian statistician Oliver Chirhart (1875–1962), American businessman and politician Oliver Chris (born 1978), English actor Oliver Christensen (born 1999), Danish footballer Oliver Christianson, American cartoonist Oliver Churchill (1914–1997), British military officer Oliver Clark (born 1939), American actor Oliver Clark (rugby league) (born 1996), Australian rugby league footballer Oliver L. Clark (1836–1908), American politician Oliver B. Clason (1850–??), American politician Oliver Clayson (born 1980), English cricketer Oliver Clifton (1847–1905), American politician Oliver Edmund Clubb (1901–1989), American diplomat Oliver Clue (born 1952), Jamaican politician Oliver Coates (born 1982), English musician Oliver Coleman (born 1983), British actor Oliver J. Coleman (1844–1926), American politician Oliver Colina (born 1982), Filipino footballer Oliver Colloty (born 2003), New Zealand footballer Oliver Colvile (born 1959), British politician Oliver Colwell (1834–1872), American soldier Oliver C. Comstock (1780–1860), American politician Oliver Cook (born 1990), British rower Oliver Cookson, British entrepreneur Oliver Cooper (disambiguation) Oliver Cope (1902–1994), American surgeon Oliver Copestake (1921–1953), English footballer Oliver Coppard (born 1981), British politician Oliver P. Coshow (1863–1937), American politician Oliver Cotton (born 1944), English actor Oliver Cowdery (1806–1850), American religious leader Oliver Cox (1901–1974), Trinidadian-American sociologist Oliver Crane (born 1998), American rower Oliver Crane (clergy) (1822–1896), American clergyman Oliver Crawford (1917–2008), American screenwriter Oliver Crewe (1947–2020), Irish Gaelic footballer Oliver D. Crisp (born 1972), English theologian Oliver Cromwell (disambiguation) Oliver S. Crosby (1920–2014), American diplomat Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre (1913–1978), British politician Oliver H. Cross (1868–1960), American politician Oliver Cuadrado (born 1977), Spanish footballer Oliver Currill (born 1997), English cricketer Oliver Cutts (1873–1939), American football player
D Oliver Daedlow (born 2000), German footballer Oliver Daemen (born 2002), Dutch space tourist Oliver Dahler (born 1969), German water polo player Oliver Dahl-Goli (1897–1976), Norwegian politician