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Girl · Latin, through English literature
Olivia
Say it: oh-LIV-ee-uh
Meaning
Coined or popularized by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night (around 1601), apparently from Latin oliva 'olive'.
Likelythe main view, with some doubt.
Steady but modest for centuries, it was the top US girls' name from 2019.
Its wave through time
A revival, back after decades away
In the United States
- 489,456 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 2014, about 1 in 90 girls
- 17,547 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Olivea
| French | Olivie |
|---|---|
| Italian | Olivia |
| Spanish | Olivia |
| German | Olivia |
Famous bearers
- Olivia de Havilland, actress
- Olivia Newton-John, singer
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Well-known works of literature
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.