The meaning of the name “Olivia” is different in several languages, countries and cultures and has more than one possibly same or different meanings available.
Additional information: The name Olivia was first used by Shakespeare in his play Twelfth Night, and there are conflicting ideas on how he came up with the name, which gives the name Olivia two distinct meanings – it was either a feminine form of the name ‘Oliver’, giving the name the ancient Germanic meaning of ‘elf warrior’, or it was derived from the Latin word ‘oliva’, probably after the name 'olivarius' (meaning olive tree), which would give Olivia the meaning ‘Olive’. Common diminutives for Olivia are Oli, Ollie, Liv, and Livvy in English speaking countries, with Vivi being popular in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Common misspellings are ‘Oliva’ and ‘Olvia’, and common variants are Alivia and Olyvia.
Olivia saw a spike in popularity during the nineties in the USA, climbing from being 72nd to the 20th most popular name for girls by 1999; it has seen further increases in popularity since then; in 2005 it ranked at number 5 in USA, while in 2012 it ranked at number 4 and was the second most popular name for girls in the USA in 2014. Similar popularity for the name Olivia is seen in England and Wales, where the name was the most popular between 2008 and 2010, and fell to second between 2011 and 2013.
Famous people with the name Olivia include Olivia Newton-John (Australian singer and actress), Olivia Harrison (widow of musician George Harrison), and Olivia Olson (American actress).
One of Hollywood’s most legendary actresses was named Olivia de Havilland, and she was, arguably, one half of one of the longest running celebrity family feuds in history. Her younger sister, Joan Fontaine, and Olivia never saw eye to eye, and they were reported to have been arguing from as early as the 1930s, at the start of their acting careers, right up until Joan’s death in 2013. The sisters were nominated for best actress Oscars in the same year as each other not once, but several times during their careers.
Pronunciation: (o LIV ee ah) Form of:Oliver Celebrity Names & Famous real-life people:
Olivia Culpo, model, Miss USA 2012
Olivia Thirlby, American actress
Olivia Newton-John, Australian singer and actress
Olivia Munn, American actress
Olivia De Berardinis, American painter
Olivia Wilde, American actress
Olivia Ward Bush, American author
Olivia de Havilland, American actress
Olivia Goldsmith, American author.
Considering Olivia as a Baby Name?
The first thing you should know if you are considering Olivia for your baby's name is that in most countries all over the world the name Olivia is a girl name.
The name Olivia is of Latin origin, and is used mostly in English speaking countries but also in a few other countries and languages of the world.
If you consider naming your baby Olivia we recommend you take note of the special meaning and history of the name as your baby’s name will play a big role in its life and your baby will hear it spoken every day. Searching for a name is a very important and fun process as it’s the very first gift you will give to your baby. Many people believe that the name can affect success in life, through their children's working career and other circumstances, so they choose more “respectable” names or name meanings as they believe that the name meaning reflects the personality of the child.
Olivia Name Meaning
The meaning of Olivia has more than one different etymologies. It has same or different meanings in other countries and languages. The different meanings of the name Olivia are:
English Meaning: Elf army.
Latin Meaning: Peace, olive tree.
Keep in mind that many names may have different meanings in other countries and languages, so be careful that the name that you choose doesn’t mean something bad or unpleasant. Search comprehensively and find the name meaning of Olivia and its name origin or of any other name in our database. Also note the spelling and the pronunciation of the name Olivia and check the initials of the name with your last name to discover how it looks and sounds. The history and meaning of the name Olivia is fascinating, learn more about it. (If you know more meanings of the name and you would like to contribute click here to submit another name meaning).
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Name Olivia Categories
The name Olivia is in the following categories: American Names, Classic Names, English Names, Movie Star Names, Old English Names, Popular Names, Shakespeare Names. (If you would like to suggest one or more categories for the name, click here). We have plenty of different baby name categories to search for special meanings plus popular and unique names, search our database before choosing but also note that baby name categories designed to help you and not to be an influential factor when choosing a name. Instead, we recommend that you pay a greater attention to the origin and meaning of the name Olivia. Read our baby name articles for useful tips regarding baby names and naming your baby. If you are thinking of giving your baby the beautiful name Olivia, spread the love and share this with your friends.
Popularity of the Name Olivia
Below you will find the popularity of the baby name Olivia displayed annually, from 1880 to the present day in our name popularity chart. Hover over or click on the dots that represent a year to see how many babies were given the name for that year, for both genders, if available.
Olivia Boy Name Popularity Chart
Olivia Girl Name Popularity Chart
Note:The data above is from the Social Security Administrator of United States, (more info here) from Social Security card applications for births in US for every name, from 1880 up to the present year. The gender associated with the name might be incorrect, as the data presents the record applications without being edited for errors. The name's popularity and ranking is announced annually, so the data for this year will not be available until next year. The more babies that are given a name, the higher popularity ranking the name receives. For names with the same popularity, the tie is solved by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. This means that if two or more names have the same popularity their rankings may differ significantly, as they are set in alphabetical order. If a name has less than five occurrences, the SSA excludes it from the provided data to protect privacy.
If you’re not sure yet, see our wide selection of both boy names and girl names all over the world to find the ideal name for your new born baby. We offer a comprehensive and meaningful list of popular names and cool names along with the name's origin, meaning, pronunciation, popularity and additional information.
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Do your research and choose a name wisely, kindly and selflessly.
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Olivia
