Updated June 25, 2014.
Meaning of Olivia:
Olivia traces her roots back to possibly the most famous playwright of all time, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare created the name for his 1602 comedy, Twelfth Night. In the play, Duke Orsino tries to win the fair Olivia's heart, but instead she falls in love for his messenger, Cesario.
Shakespeare may have take the name from Oliver or the female name Oliva. The roots of these name are from the Latin word for "olive."
Popularity of Olivia:
Since the 1600s when Shakespeare created the name, the name was not very common in use. Looking at the Social Security Administrations data which begins in 1880, we can see that Olivia reached her lowest point of popularity in 1971 at rank #543 with only 334 girls born in the United States that year.
However, the following year the popular TV show, "The Waltons" ( on the DVD series) began airing, and one of the main characters, Olivia, seemed to ignite an affinity for the name. Though still not incredibly popular, the name climbed in popularity. In 1976, the number of baby girls born with the name nearly quadrupled.
Olivia finally broke into the top 100 names in 1990, the top 50 names in 1993, and by 2001 achieved her status within the top 10. In 2010, she held the #4 position.
Despite her recent popularity, Olivia does not find a spot in the Top 100 Names of the Past Century.
Many parents outside the United States also find the name Olivia appealing.
Pronunciation:
Olivia is pronounced ?-LIV-ee-?.
Nicknames:
Some nicknames for Olivia may include Liv, Livvy, Livia, and Ollie.
Sibling Name Suggestions:
Parents concerned about choosing a sibling name that meshes well with the name Olivia might consider using another name that begins with O, a 4 syllable name, a girl's name ending in the ee-ah sound, or another classic sounding names. Some possibilities might be:
Baby Name Trends:
In recent years there has been an increased use of traditional, "older" names for baby girls. Olivia might also be considered an Old Hollywood Name.
Middle Names for Olivia:
Many names flow nicely with the first name Olivia. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking about possibilities.
Share your suggestions for middle names at the "Write a Review" link below.
Famous Olivias:
Celebrity Babies Named Olivia:
Alternate Spellings:
More recent spellings of the name Olivia include Alivia, and Olyvia.
Sources:
Behind the Name
Baby Name Wizard Voyager
Social Security Popular Names
Meaning of Olivia:
Olivia traces her roots back to possibly the most famous playwright of all time, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare created the name for his 1602 comedy, Twelfth Night. In the play, Duke Orsino tries to win the fair Olivia's heart, but instead she falls in love for his messenger, Cesario.
Shakespeare may have take the name from Oliver or the female name Oliva. The roots of these name are from the Latin word for "olive."
Popularity of Olivia:
Since the 1600s when Shakespeare created the name, the name was not very common in use. Looking at the Social Security Administrations data which begins in 1880, we can see that Olivia reached her lowest point of popularity in 1971 at rank #543 with only 334 girls born in the United States that year.
However, the following year the popular TV show, "The Waltons" ( on the DVD series) began airing, and one of the main characters, Olivia, seemed to ignite an affinity for the name. Though still not incredibly popular, the name climbed in popularity. In 1976, the number of baby girls born with the name nearly quadrupled.
Olivia finally broke into the top 100 names in 1990, the top 50 names in 1993, and by 2001 achieved her status within the top 10. In 2010, she held the #4 position.
Despite her recent popularity, Olivia does not find a spot in the Top 100 Names of the Past Century.
Many parents outside the United States also find the name Olivia appealing.
- #2 in Australia (Victoria)
- #2 in Canada (Alberta)
- #2 in Canada (Ontario)
- #2 in New Zealand
- #3 in England
- #3 in Scotland
- #4 in Canada (British Columbia)
- #4 in Finland
- #5 in Australia (New South Wales)
- #6 in Canada (Saskatchewan)
- #7 in Wales
- #20 in Northern Ireland
- #22 in Sweden
- #32 in Canada (Quebec)
- #34 in Denmark
- #36 in Belgium
- #56 in Ireland
- #72 in Norway
Pronunciation:
Olivia is pronounced ?-LIV-ee-?.
Nicknames:
Some nicknames for Olivia may include Liv, Livvy, Livia, and Ollie.
Sibling Name Suggestions:
Parents concerned about choosing a sibling name that meshes well with the name Olivia might consider using another name that begins with O, a 4 syllable name, a girl's name ending in the ee-ah sound, or another classic sounding names. Some possibilities might be:
- For girls: Alexandra, Audrey, Elizabeth, Opal, Sophia, Victoria,
- For boys: Augustus, Alexander, Noah, Oscar, Owen, Sebastian, Zachary
Baby Name Trends:
In recent years there has been an increased use of traditional, "older" names for baby girls. Olivia might also be considered an Old Hollywood Name.
Middle Names for Olivia:
Many names flow nicely with the first name Olivia. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking about possibilities.
- Olivia Christine
- Olivia Danielle
- Olivia Elise
- Olivia Faith
- Olivia Grace
- Olivia Jane
- Olivia Mae
- Olivia Pearl
- Olivia Rose
- Olivia Scarlett
Share your suggestions for middle names at the "Write a Review" link below.
Famous Olivias:
- Olivia D'abo, Actress
- Olivia Munn, Model
- Olivia Newton-John, Singer, Actress
- Olivia Bush-Banks, Published Author
- Olivia Coolidge, Published Author
- Olivia de Havilland, Actress
- Olivia Dunbar, Author
- Olivia Goldsmith, Writer
- Olivia Hussey, Actress
- Olivia Manning, Writer
- Olivia Thirlby, Actress
- Olivia Wilde, Actor
- Olivia Williams, Actress
Celebrity Babies Named Olivia:
- Olivia Jane Hanks (2011), daughter of Colin Hanks
- Olivia Van Der Beek (2010), daughter of James Van Der Beek
- Olivia Marie Armstrong (2010), daughter of Lance Armstrong
- Olivia Luna Fisher-Duddy (2008), daughter of Joely Fisher
- Olivia Fluent (2004), daughter of Justine Bateman
- Olivia (2004), daughter of Eddie Vedder and Jill McCormick
- Olivia Margaret Schelske (2003), daughter of Sara Evans
- Olivia Rose Cameron (2001), daughter of Kirk Cameron
- Olivia Rose Pacino (2001), daughter of Al Pacino and Beverly D'angelo
- Olivia Coron (2000), daughter of Cynthia Geary
- Olivia Jade Giannuli (1999), daughter of Lori Loughlin
- Olivia Washington (1991), daughter of Denzel Washington
Alternate Spellings:
More recent spellings of the name Olivia include Alivia, and Olyvia.
Sources:
Behind the Name
Baby Name Wizard Voyager
Social Security Popular Names
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