Girl name origins & meanings
Olivia is a girl’s name with origins in Latin, French, and Old Norse.
Olivia is originally derived from the Latin word oliva, meaning “olive” and “olive tree.” In French, the name means “peace,” and in Old Norse it means “kind one.”
Olivia has been used as a baby girl's name in England since the 13th century, first popularized by Shakespeare in his play Twelfth Night.
Popular nicknames for Olivia include Liv, Livia, Livy (/Livvy), and Ollie.
Syllables: 4
How Popular Is The Name Olivia
Famous people with this first name
Famous people who gave their babies this name
Popularity of the name Olivia
According to Social Security Administration data, Olivia has been a consistently popular name. It often competes for the #1 spot in the U.S. with Emma, and it has remained in the top 5 for the past decade.
Despite its spot as one of the top 5 baby girl names in the U.S., it ranks #43 on FamilyEducation.com.
According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Olivia was at its peak popularity in March 2019.
Olivia in pop culture and entertainment
Olivia was first made popular by William Shakespeare in his play Twelfth Night. Today, it remains popular with namesakes such as actresses Olivia Newton-John, Olivia Colman, Olivia Wilde, Olivia Munn, and Olivia Culpo, as well as popular YouTuber Olivia Jade.
In TV and film, Olivia is a popular name choice for fictional characters. Olivia Benson is the protagonist of Law & Order SVU, Olivia Pope is a character in Scandal, and Olivia Dunham is a character in Fringe.
Where is it Popular?
Olivia was searched for most often in the following states:
Nicknames for Olivia
- Liv
- Ollie
- Livie
Pairs well with these middle names
Appears on
- Old English First Names
- Why Emma Has Been The Top Baby Girl Name For Five Years in a Row
- 20 Baby Names With Even Better Nicknames
- Traditional Names
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