Olive
Olive was the 197th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,597 babies. Its best year was 1893, when it ranked 82nd; the most babies were born in 2022 (1,836). Over the last ten years it has moved up 67 places. More babies were named Olive in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning olive, olive tree · Latin
Say it AH-liv /ˈɑlɪv/
- Rank in 2025
- #197 girls, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,597girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20221,836 babies
- Total since 1880
- 67,320babies recorded
What does the name Olive mean?
Olive is the English form of the medieval saint's name Oliva, from Latin oliva, 'olive, olive tree'; DMNES and Wiktionary agree. DMNES records it in England in Latin documents. Wiktionary notes it was revived in the 19th century, when plant and flower names became fashionable, and Wikipedia points to the olive branch as a symbol of peace. Olivia is a closely related name.
olīva (Latin, “olive, olive tree”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Olivia, Oliva, Ollie, Liv.
See also: Latin names, names that mean tree.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Olive', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Olive', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Olive (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Olive
The usual nicknames for Olive are Ollie and Liv. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Olive in the last five years, 22 were named Liv, against 135 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie · also for Oliver, Olivia | Modern | #2,294 | 453 |
| Liv · also for Olivia, Alivia, Livia | Modern | #896 | 1,835 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Olives go by each one.
Olive popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 394 since 1885, 7 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #197 | 1,597 |
| 2020 | #196 | 1,491 |
| 2010 | #543 | 541 |
| 2000 | #3,715 | 35 |
| 1990 | #6,750 | 13 |
| 1980 | #5,449 | 13 |
| 1970 | #3,677 | 17 |
| 1960 | #1,632 | 48 |
| 1950 | #892 | 99 |
| 1940 | #528 | 169 |
| 1930 | #278 | 539 |
| 1920 | #151 | 1,552 |
| 1910 | #125 | 646 |
| 1900 | #95 | 705 |
| 1890 | #89 | 491 |
| 1880 | #95 | 224 |
How popular is Olive, counting every spelling?
Olive is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #217 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #197 for Olive on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,597 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive | 1,597 | #197 | 8,509 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Olive?
1,597 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Olive (0.44 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Olive born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Olive.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Olive?
About 24,800 people born in the US named Olive are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 14. That makes Olive a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Olive by state
How common Olive was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (4.5×), Vermont (3.9×), Montana (3.7×), Maine (3.2×), Utah (2.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, District of Columbia, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Olive: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Olive, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Olive · Sibling names for Olive
Questions about the name Olive
What does Olive mean?
Olive means “olive, olive tree” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Olive?
Olive was the 197th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,597 babies. Its best year was 1893, when it ranked 82nd; the most babies were born in 2022 (1,836). Over the last ten years it has moved up 67 places. More babies were named Olive in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Olive a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Olive in the US.
Where is Olive most popular?
In 2021–2025, Olive was most common in Wyoming (4.69 per 1,000 girls), followed by Vermont and Montana.