Given name & surname
Olive
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
Olive is a variant of Olivia. In Latin use, Olivia carries the interpretation “of the olive tree; one who is peaceful.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Olive is a variant of Olivia. In Latin use, Olivia carries the interpretation “of the olive tree; one who is peaceful.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Olive connects to the Oliver name family through Olivia. Oliver reached English through Norman usage. Oliver’s deeper origin is probably Germanic, although its exact earlier form is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Olive connects to the Oliver name family through Olivia. The shared background comes through Oliver: The French form Olivier resembles a Late Latin word for an olive tree. Oliver also appears among legendary companions with Germanic names, suggesting that Olivier may have reshaped an older Germanic name, perhaps Olaf. That deeper connection remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Olive is a variant of Olivia. The history of Olivia gives this family its wider story. Shakespeare used Olivia for the heiress in Twelfth Night. Possible starting points include Oliver, Latin oliva meaning “olive,” and the older feminine name Oliva; the literary appearance is more secure than any single derivation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Olive through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 67,320
- 394 boys · 66,926 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 1,841 babies
- 2025
- 1,604
- #197 for girls · #10,398 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +29%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,597 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 197 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 29.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 7 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (183). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 19,050 as a first name in 2020; 5,595 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Olive’s family of names
In English usage, Olive has a diminutive in Ollie. Olive has a related form in Olivia. In French usage, Olive has a conventional equivalent in the English form Olivia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Olive has relatives in 3 languages.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Olive
- Olive SchreinerSouth African author and pacifist (1855-1920)
- Olive ThomasAmerican silent film actress, model (1894–1920)
- Kathryn CrosbyAmerican actress (1933–2024)
- Olive BordenAmerican actress (1906–1947)
- Marie OsmondAmerican singer and member of The Osmondsborn 1959
- Olive LoughnaneIrish race walking athleteborn 1976
- Olive DeeringAmerican actress (1918–1986)
- Olive TellAmerican actress (1894-1951)
- Bathabile DlaminiSouth African politicianborn 1968
Characters named Olive: Olive Oyl (Popeye).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Olive, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Olivine
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
>99% girls
Oliffe
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
—
Olivey
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
—
Oliff
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
—
Olivi
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
>99% girls
Olivy
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
—
Oliveea
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
—
Olivetta
“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
>99% girls