Oliver

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ORIGIN AND HISTORY

The name Oliver stems from the Middle Low German “Alfihar” meaning “elf army,” which is a combination of “alf” meaning “elf” and “hari” meaning “army.” The Old French used the name “Olivier” meaning “olive tree,” which was taken to England and Scotland. The Gaelic forms of Oliver are “Oilbhries” and “Olghar.” In the Bible, the olive tree symbolizes fruitfulness, beauty and dignity.

Oliver was one of Charlemagne's knights in the French poem "La Chanson de Roland” written in the 12th century.

POPULARITY

According to the 1990 United States Census, Oliver ranked as the 319th most popular male first name and the 210th most popular last name. In the United States, the name ranked in the Top 1,000 most popular boys' names every decade since 1880.

United States Popularity of the boy's name Oliver in the 21st Century.

• Year: 2006 Rank:173rd
• Year: 2005 Rank:209th
• Year: 2004 Rank:229th
• Year: 2003 Rank:243rd
• Year: 2002 Rank:267th
• Year: 2001 Rank:298th
• Year: 2000 Rank:305th

In 2007, Oliver ranked in the Top 20 most popular boys' names in several countries including Australia (12th), Denmark (6th), England/Wales (3rd), Wales (8th), New Zealand (6th) and Sweden (15th).

FACTS

• February 3rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Oliver.
• April 15th is celebrated in Sweden in honor of the name Oliver.
• May 22nd is celebrated in Estonia in honor of the name Oliver.
• July 7th is celebrated in Slovakia in honor of the name Oliver.
• July 11th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Oliver Plunkett.
• October 2nd is celebrated in the Czech Republic in honor of the name Oliver.
• November 21st is celebrated in Hungary in honor of the name Oliver.

NAMESAKES

• "Oliver's Army” is a song by Elvis Costello, which reached number two on the United Kingdom charts in 1979.
• Oliver Twist was a novel by Charles Dickens about an orphan named Oliver who lived in the streets of London.

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Oliver Cromwell – British military commander of the 17th century and ruler after the civil war.
• Oliver Hardy – Comedian who is known has half of the comic duo “Laurel and Hardy.”
• Oliver Stone – Film director who won three Academy Awards (Oscars) and was nominated for four others.
• Oliver Ellsworth – United States Supreme Court Justice (1796-1800).
• Oliver Platt – Actor who was nominated for three Emmy Awards.
• Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. – United States Supreme Court Justice (1902-1932).
• Oliver Seibert – Hall of Fame hockey player.
• Harry Oliver – Hall of Fame hockey player.

NOTES

OTHER OLIVER'S

Oliver Porter, Oliver Smith, Oliver Johnson, Oliver Williams, Oliver Jones, Oliver Brown, Oliver Davis, Oliver Miller, Oliver Wilson, Oliver Moore, Oliver Taylor, Oliver Aaltonen, Oliver Abadeen, Oliver Abarquez, Oliver Abasolo, Oliver Abbott, Oliver Abdul, Oliver Abejuela, Oliver Abel, Oliver Aberth, Oliver Abner, Oliver Abnos, Oliver Abraham, Oliver Abrahamson, Oliver Abrajano, Oliver Abrams, Oliver Abreu, Oliver Absalonson, Oliver Abshire, Oliver Acevedo, Oliver Achime, Oliver Acidera, Oliver Ackendorf, Oliver Ackerley, Oliver Acord, Oliver Acosta, Oliver Acres, Oliver Acuna, Oliver Ochieng, Oliver Aandahl, Oliver Aasby, Oliver Abellera, Oliver Abello, Oliver Abeyta, Oliver Abney, Oliver Abramson, Oliver Abrigo, Oliver Abu, Oliver Achleitner, Oliver Ackerman, More results

Author: Rich Kachold