Oliver is one of the most popular baby names in the UK, ranked #6 in 2025. With 3,154 babies given this name, your child will likely be the only Oliver in their class — but in a school of 600, expect around ~1.6 others.
Origin & Meaning
Latin/Old French — Olive tree; symbol of peace and fruitfulness
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UK Rank 2025
#6
US Rank #3
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About the Name Oliver
Oliver ranked #6 in 2025, down from its peak of #1 in 2009 — still a familiar name, but past its high point. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has spent 30 of the last 30 years inside the UK top 100 — a mark of enduring mainstream appeal.
In terms of origin, Oliver is rooted in Latin/Old French, where it means "Olive tree; symbol of peace and fruitfulness". Names with strong etymological stories tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles.
Oliver is one of the most popular names in the UK — yet even so, another Oliver turns up in only about 1 class in 6.
It ranks similarly in the US at #3, suggesting broad transatlantic appeal.
⭐ Famous People Named Oliver
Oliver Hudson — Oliver Rutledge Hudson is an American actor.
Oliver Stark — Oliver Leon Jones, known professionally as Oliver Stark, is a British actor.
Oliver Baumann — Oliver Baumann is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim, where he is also captain, and the Germany national team.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Oliver
Probably not in their specific class, but possible. With around 3,154 UK babies named Oliver per year, your child will likely be the only Oliver in their class. In a school of 600, however, expect to find around ~1.6 others.
Oliver has been fairly steady, ranked #6 in 2025 against #1 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #1 in 2009.
The name Oliver has Latin/Old French origins and means "Olive tree; symbol of peace and fruitfulness". Names with clear etymological roots tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles and give children a story to tell about their name.
Notable people named Oliver include: Oliver Hudson, Oliver Stark and Oliver Baumann. Short summaries for each appear below.
Yes — Oliver is very popular in the United States, ranked #3 in 2025. It's a transatlantic favourite used widely on both sides of the Atlantic.
3,154
UK babies named Oliver (2025)
~0.1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~1.6
In a school of 600
↓ 5 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Oliver
Around 1 class in 6 has another Oliver
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Oliver
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
From Olivier, an Old French form of the Germanic name Alfher (literally "elf army/warrior")
Nicknames
Moll, Noll, Ollie, Olli, Olly, Oli
Name Day
July 11 (Austria), July 1 (Croatia), October 2 (Czech Republic), May 22 (Estonia), May 29 (Finland), August 3 (Norway), July 7 (Slovakia), April 15 (Sweden)
Oliver Baumann is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim, where he is also captain, and the Germany national team.
Oliver Dimsdale is an English actor, known for portraying Louis Trevelyan in the BBC TV serial He Knew He Was Right and Daniel Marlowe in Grantchester.
Chase Russell Oliver is an American political activist and politician who was the nominee of the Libertarian Party for the 2024 United States presidential election.