Oliver

User comments for Oliver

Meaning/History

Usage

Pronunciation

Famous Bearer

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Another person named Oliver is Oliver Wood, the Quidditch captain in the early Harry Potter books.

― gin_rummy 8/5/2005

The name of the main character in "Oliver Twist" and "Oliver!".

― arrowhead909 10/15/2005

I think Oliver is a good cat name... not for a person.

― Anonymous User 10/19/2005

I agree - Oliver is a great name for a cat.

― kittyjones 3/30/2006

Oliver Wendell Holmes was a wonderful poet and his son, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., was a United States Supreme Court Justice. Oliver Hardy was a comedian/actor who partnered with Stan Laurel.

― breakofday 12/16/2005

Whether or not it originates from "elf army", Oliver surely today is closely related to the olive tree. Olivier is listed as the French version of Oliver, when in fact "olivier" is simply French for "olive tree".

― brianinchina 1/28/2006

The was my first boyfriend's name. He pronounced it 'Oh-liv-er'.

― alimorag 4/12/2006

*sings* 'Oliver, Oliver, never before has a boy asked for more; Oliver, Oliver, don't ask for more when you know what's in store' - From Oliver! The musical, based on the story "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens.

― Katya_4_Ever 5/20/2006

A famous bearer of the name Oliver is Colonel Oliver North.

― airisu 5/25/2006

A famous bearer is Oliver Cromwell, one-time Lord Protector of England, in place of the King, during the English Civil War. There is also the song "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello, referring indirectly to Oliver Cromwell.

― The Little Hyphen 6/27/2006

I have never liked this name for a boy but it is great for a cat.

― Anonymous User 7/20/2006

I agree. Oliver's a GREAT cat name, but not a people name.

― xKatiex 9/14/2006

Listen to the German pronunciation of Oliver here:
http://www.nordicnames.de/Aussprache.html.

― _satu_ 10/24/2006

The defining trait of Oliver in the Song of Roland, is wisdom, of which his name is repeatedly linked to, in contrast to his companion Roland, who represents strength.

― frisibee 11/5/2006

I love the name Oliver! What's with this idea that Oliver is only a good name for a cat? I'd totally name my son this.

― KMF 11/18/2006

In As You Like It by William Shakespeare, Oliver is the oldest son of a famous duke. In the beginning of the play he is very mean, especially to his younger brother Orlando, but then he has a change of heart and becomes good.

― Aqua 12/11/2006

I like this name for a cat but also a human. It makes me think of a cute little old man. My sister only likes it for a cat.

― Anonymous User 12/11/2006

I love this name, but my husband can't stop thinking of Oliver Twist.

― earthnut 1/17/2007

This is a very cool name. And not overused either.

― Surreal 1/27/2007

Since when is Oliver a cat's name? I've never heard of a cat named Oliver. It is however my son's name & he's always receiving compliments for it. It's one of my all time favourite names.

― Anonymous User 1/29/2007

Most people probably associate it with a cat because the main character in the Disney movie Oliver & Company is, yes, an orange cat. It's supposedly based on Oliver Twist. I personally think it's a good name, and don't get the whole 'cat name' thing, either.

― Belus 1/31/2007

Oliver Queen is the alter ego of the DC Comics superhero Green Arrow.

― Anonymous User 2/6/2007

Tommy Oliver is the name of a character in the Power Rangers universe. He appears in more episodes than any other ranger.

― Anonymous User 2/6/2007

Czech model Pavlína Pořízková & Ric Ocasek have a son Oliver (23th May 1998).

― Ronja 2/20/2007

I think Oliver is a fantastic name for a boy! One of my favorites for a future son.

― Anonymous User 3/18/2007

No offense but I just can't stand this name, it sounds stuffy and outdated.

― Anonymous User 3/30/2007

I like this name---I actually prefer it to the feminine version Olivia, although my distaste for Olivia may relate more to people I've known than the name itself. But I don't find Oliver outdated at all.

― Anonymous User 4/1/2007

Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) was the author of "The Vicar of Wakefield" and "She Stoops to Conquer."

― Anonymous User 4/1/2007

Also an unusual masculine name in Slovenia.

― earthnut 7/18/2007

I don't see Oliver as a cat name, even though I do like the movie "Oliver and Company".

― joanie2007 7/30/2007

Sure it brings to mind 'Oliver and Company' to most, but it brings different things to my mind. I used to have a dog named Oliver. Before he was put to sleep.

― Anonymous User 8/6/2007

I love this name, it's a very old and masculine name. I would love to give my future son the name Oliver as a middle name.

― joanie2007 8/6/2007

Oliver Phelps playes George Weasley in the Harry Potter movies.

― joanie2007 8/6/2007

Oliver Skyes is the troublesome lead singer in the band Bring Me The Horizon =].

― carenmuffin 8/15/2007

Oliver in Catalan language is also the name for the olive tree, we say indistinctly oliver or olivera for this tree, and the fruits are olives. To make a difference between the personal name and the tree name we pronounce oli'ver or oli ver'.

― jompsi 9/21/2007

It's a coool name.

― april14 3/30/2008

I like the name Oliver because it is a strong, classic name that I think ages well. I also like that it is not too common, but not unheard of.

― Anonymous User 4/6/2008

Jamie Oliver is a British chef that bears this name.

― RinForever 5/4/2008

This has a strange pronunciation in Norwegian. It sounds more like "Oh Liver".

― Anonymous User 5/18/2008

Oliver was Burgess Meredith's real first name (Oliver Bergess Meredith).

― welovejamesarness 6/4/2008

Oliver Oken is a character from the Disney tv show 'Hannah Montana'. Portrayed by Mitchel Musso.

― Anonymous User 7/14/2008

Fictional character Oliver Bachratík from the TV crime show "Mesto tieňov". He is played by Róbert Jakab.

― Emilie007 8/26/2008

I love the name Oliver- on a girl. It sounds horrible on a boy! Oliver sounds so much like Olivea, a variant of Olivia I've seen too many times.

― Anonymous User 11/15/2008

Love this name. Think it's very classy, in a way, but still boy-ish. Plus, Oliver Sykes couldn't hurt it's credibility. :)

― Ladyhawke 1/11/2009

Famous bearer is the character Oliver Warbucks "Daddy Warbucks" in Annie.

― claraelizabethann 2/22/2009

I really don't like Oliver. I immediately think of Oliver Cromwell, who was a butcherous genocidal dictator and a curse upon Ireland. One of our worst curses is "malacht Cromail ort" which means "The curse of Cromwell upon you". Some people would still use that curse. I would have liked it if he hadn't existed.

― Anonymous User 5/10/2009

In English, Oliver is old slang for the moon. Origins of such usage may be traced to Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads, as the moon, when full, resembles a great round (presumably bald) head.

― Anonymous User 5/29/2009

Nice, strong, wonderful name.

― walesgal92 6/13/2009

In The Netherlands Olivier B. Bommel is the name of a comic book character in the books of Marten Toonder. I don't know the English name. It's the friend of Tom Cat (Tom Poes in Dutch).
I myself don't like this name, but I used to like the stories of Marten Toonder.

― Kaat5 9/18/2009

I'm surprised no one commented about the deliciously evil Oliver Reed.

― Tarragon 9/23/2009

An all time favorite of mine. A very nice name. I've never met an Oliver.

― Doglover 11/11/2009

It's also sporadically used in Croatia.

― goricar 11/15/2009

Whenever I hear this name, I think of a boy in about 19th century England with peasant clothes (especially the hat), somewhat like Oliver Twist. Somehow, though, it makes the name seem more sexy. I have a strange mind sometimes.

― YourAchillesHeel 11/29/2009

Oliver was a character in "The Brady Bunch"; he was the son of Carol Brady's brother Jack and his wife Pauline and came to live with the Brady family while his parents were in South America.

Much younger than the Brady kids, it was an attempt to get the appeal of a precocious youngster back into the storyline. Brady fans see his arrival as the turning point upon which the show "jumped the shark" or marked a decline.

Cousin Oliver Syndrome is the name that fans use for the phenomenon of sitcoms casting young kids to try to boost ratings.

― SandSea 2/20/2010

It is also used in Czech, Slovak, Estonian, Hungarian and Late Roman.

― Anonymous User 4/11/2010

I LOVE the name Oliver! It's #38 in 2009 in my nation of origin, Hungary. I REALLY want to name my little son Oliver... at the moment! :D No, Oliver is very cute. I personally know of a little Oliver (I have never met him, just saw pictures of him, he's Hungarian) and he THE cutest little boy! Thank goodness he is called Oliver with that cuteness which describes him.

― Anonymous User 2/13/2011

Very trendy right now. But I think it's nice.

― Chrila96 2/19/2011

My husband's name! But he prefers to go by Ollie. The name really suits him as I always picture someone blonde to be named Oliver, just like he is.

― charlottexx 7/31/2011

It's decent, but I don't particularly care for the "liver" sound. "Ollie" isn't the best nickname, and it sounds a bit wimpy.

― Black_X 8/10/2011

This name is just awful. I think of a big pile of livers... That's just gross and so is this name.

― GibsonGirl 9/15/2011

I like this name because it means peace.

― Anonymous User 9/18/2011

One of the cutest names ever. For a child, teenager and adult. One of my faves.

― nevercontent 2/9/2012

Oliver Riedel the bassist of the German Industrial band Rammstein. His nickname is Oli (Pronounce Oh-lee).

― Anonymous User 2/25/2012

This name is awesome so long as you don't call him Ollie. It sounds tough:) But I hate any feminine variations... somehow, on a girl it sounds fat.

― Anonymous User 8/9/2012

The name Oliver has another meaning in Norse. It means "Affectionate". This comes from several sources. My suggestion is that if you are naming a child or pet or novel character and the meaning is important, that you research beyond this site, as it somewhat frequently leaves information out.

― Gypsy November 1/6/2013

I find it quite strange that this is the most popular name for babies in England right now, despite Oliver Cromwell.

― Anonymous User 4/21/2013

In the book 18, Pete's 13 year old son is named Oliver.

― Anonymous User 7/15/2013

I'd really like to name our son this- it goes well with all the girls names we've picked out for his twin sister. The only problem is that its getting quite popular. I don't regard it as 'trendy' myself, but others might. I think it's too old fashioned and charming to be called trendy. Despite the popularity, its an excellent name, and we're still considering it!

― .Lily. 8/16/2013

I always thought this name was great. It's one of those that sounds innocent but heroic to me if that makes sense. Like it's intended for a good-hearted character. Cute name.

― Samillion 4/30/2014

This is my partner's name, and I love it! It's one of those Germanic names that remind me of something strong and noble. Beautiful name with a cute nickname.

― Anonymous User 5/20/2014

It always reminds me of a name for an annoyingly, bratty little boy.

― gh1995 6/15/2014

Oliver is the protagonist of the Walt Disney movie Oliver & Company.

― Anonymous User 7/10/2014

This is my son's name and it really suits him. He's a very cheeky little fella with a "butter wouldn't melt" smile. I named him after my favourite musical and it just so happens that one of his first words was MORE! Amazingly classic, timeless name.

― Natric01 7/23/2014

Strong, masculine name. It is getting popular but that's only because people are appreciating it :)

― Anonymous User 8/10/2014

This is SUCH a cute and charming name! :3.

― Anonymous User 8/28/2014

Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter.

― Anonymous User 10/28/2014

This is a nice name, but I prefer its French form, Olivier (o-lee-VYAY.)

― hkols 11/3/2014

Oliver Postgate was an English animator, puppeteer and writer. He was the creator and writer of the popular British children's TV programmes the "Clangers" and "Bagpuss".

― Anonymous User 11/19/2014

Reminds me of an olive tree.

― Anonymous User 11/29/2014

I always think of olives.

― Anonymous User 2/6/2015

It's a very common name, but actually, I can sort of see why. It sounds very nice and handsome, but these qualities do wear down with overuse.

― IsolationHedge 5/1/2015

I've never cared for this name. I always think of olives and olive oil. Not a great thought when you think of a name.

― TheArtemisMoon 6/2/2015

A Vocaloid3 voicebank developed and produced by PowerFX Systems A3 in collaboration with VocaTone is named OLIVER. It's made to be a young, classical type vocal, around the age of 12, and was modeled after a Vienna choir boy. The names "Cody", "Treble", and "Devin" were also considered during the development stage of the software.

― ItsJustMeAgain. 7/25/2015

Boring. Old. Annoying. What is there not to love about this. (Hint hint sarcasm) Oliver seams like a really whiny obnoxious kid growing up in the year 1842. It doesn't really work good on a grown man. It doesn't even work good on a five year old.

― Anonymous User 8/3/2015

I think this name is very handsome as well as vintage. I am 5 months along with our gender surprise baby, and if Oliver wasn't so popular we would definitely be choosing this name.

― Anonymous User 12/24/2015

I love this name. It's not too rare, but not too popular (not where I live in the US, among my age group anyway. I only knew one Oliver in my life.) Sounds sort of British/French to me. I imagine an Oliver as more of the cordial gentleman type. I think it sounds good on both a young person and an old person.
I think people get the cat association from the movie Oliver and Company. I wish people would stop giving animals human names; it limits our scope. It's better as a human name and should stay that way.

― WalkOnAir 2/23/2016

My brother is called Oliver and I haven't met anyone called Oliver apart from him. I think it's a really sophisticated and rare name, but I don't like the nickname 'oli'/'ollie'. It just sounds like a type of bloody spread you'd put on your butter.

― jlaw 4/2/2016

I don't particularly like this name, both because it's too common and because I just dislike the sound. Other than these things, it's a decent name, just not to my tastes.

― RoseTintsMyWorld 5/11/2016

Oliver (born William Oliver Swofford) was a singer popular in the late '60s and early '70s. He is best remembered for his two hit songs "Good Morning Starshine" and "Jean".

― Anonymous User 8/4/2016

This name has been in our (Hungarian) family since the 17th century, according to family tradition, introduced by a female Scottish Catholic refugee to Transylvania, who wished that her descendants should remember our Scottish heritage, even though she (as a woman who married into a Hungarian family), could not lend her own name. Well, if the story is accurate, it worked! I'm named Oliver, as is my son, my nephew, my father, and many fathers before me, and we do remember our (distant) Scottish heritage (recently confirmed by DNA analysis…). It was very unusual when I grew up (in Canada -- I never met another Oliver besides my Dad while growing up), but on visits to Hungary it was nice to have people immediately accept it, rather than constantly comment on "Oliver Twist", the way they did in Canada. Now it's popular in Canada, and even more popular in Hungary.

― Anonymous User 9/10/2016

I love the name Oliver! It fits a mischievous little boy as well as a dignified old man. I personally like names that don't sound strange at a certain age.

― blackiesunshine 12/5/2016

Oliver is also a character in "Thomas The Tank Engine".

― blackiesunshine 12/5/2016

Russian name.

― heyyyyyyyyyyyy 1/6/2017

I love the name Oliver. It is an old, classic masculine name that wears well with age. Famous name bearers include Oliver Wendell Holmes (U.S. Supreme Court Justice), Oliver Stone (director) and Oliver Sacks (neurologist and author). I love the nickname "Ollie" as well, for a young boy.

― Anonymous User 1/12/2017

Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team in 1975. Twelve years later, Kahn made his debut match in the professional squad. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich for the fee of DM4.6 million, where he played until the end of his career in 2008. His commanding presence in goal and aggressive style earned him nicknames such as Der Titan from the press and Vol-kahn-o from fans.

― cutenose 1/22/2017

Oliver Bjerrehuus is a Danish model. He was born in Denmark to actress-turned-writer Suzanne Bjerrehuus. In 1997, Bjerrehuus traveled to New York City, where his career took off when he landed jobs for such entities as Calvin Klein, Nautica, and Giorgio Armani. In 2003, Bjerrehuus moved back to Denmark. He is currently an actor in his home country, but still does some modeling.

― cutenose 1/27/2017

I love the name Oliver! I would call him Ollie for short. When I say Oliver I think of a cute little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. I would call my son this!

― Charleyboobear 2/12/2017

Oliver Vanetta 'Doolittle' Lynn (1926-1996), talent manager and husband of country singer Loretta Lynn.

― DundiculutNicholas 2/18/2017

This name is AWFUL (!) along with Olivia, Olive, and Olly.

― Katesnames15 4/20/2017

Every other person I know is naming their son Oliver, and while I don't hate the name, I certainly do not like it. It is hideously common and has lost its shine because parents have ruined this name by naming so many children Oliver. Ollie is also a terrible nickname, in my opinion.

― Bethany95 9/8/2017

Seriously? No one thought about Oliver queen? C'mon man...

― Anonymous User 9/28/2017

I love the name Oliver. It’s not a very common name where I’m from but one of the main reasons I like it is because of a personal connection- my middle name is Olivia and I was named after my great grandpa, his middle name was Oliver and he played a big role in my life so I would like to keep it in the family.

― Lauren22 12/17/2017

It's not a bad name, but the name "Oliver" sounds so fancy. Sounds like that one kid that had good manners and always wears neatly done clothing. Not bad characteristics at all, but that is just what I imagine.
Overall, ok name. Not my favorite at all, but I see the appeal in this name.
A lot of people seem to love this name though, since this name is ranking very high on the rankings these past few years.