Olivia

Updated: October 18, 2023 by MomsWhoThink Staff

The baby name Olivia rose to popularity after Shakespeare named one of his most beloved characters in “Twelfth Night.” Even now, it is the number one most popular name for girls in the United States alone, and it has reached that ranking for several years. Though the name is so popular now, it has a complicated background as some believe it comes from the same word for “olive branch” in Latin, while others believe it is a family name of English and Norse history.

Meaning of the Name Olivia

The name Olivia comes from old English history and is a switch on the traditional boy's name Oliver. The name Oliver stems from an ancient Norse name which was Aleifr. There are also rumors that the baby name has Latin origins and means an olive branch.

There is much symbolism over the Latin meaning of “olive branch” for the name Olivia. This is because an olive branch is the sign of peace, so Olivia can be a name for someone who wants to be a person of peace. In the English background, however, it would make sense for Olivia to be the daughter of someone who had the name Oliver or who had an Aleifr in their family history.

Nicknames for Olivia

The name Olivia is one that sounds peaceful and that brings about a feeling of kindness. It is also a very lighthearted name so evokes a feeling of joy and laughter. Below, we've crafted a list of possible nicknames to help get you inspired:

Liv
Livvy
Libby
Olive
Oli
Ollie
Viv
Livs
Livi

Olivia Name Details

Style: Traditional

Gender: Olivia is traditionally considered to be a girls name.

Pronunciation: uh–LIV-EE-uh or OH-liv-EE-uh

Syllables: Four

Alternative Spelling for Olivia

Alyvia
Olyvia
Elivia

Olivia Name Popularity

In the years 2020 and 2019, the name Olivia was ranked as the number one name for baby girls. Even prior to that, however, from the years 2014 to 2018, it was the second most popular name. It has been on the top 10 list since the year 2001 though, and the top 100 list since 1990.