Olive
Say it: OL-iv
GirlMeans olive tree5 letters2 syllables
#247
in Ireland (2025)
#249 with spellings combined
17
babies in 2025
#34
best rank (1975)
1,552
babies since 1964
Up 215
10-year rank change
Olive through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | #249 |
| 2024 | 17 | #248 |
| 2023 | 12 | #313 |
| 2022 | 8 | #453 |
| 2021 | 13 | #324 |
| 2020 | 8 | #437 |
| 2019 | 9 | #419 |
| 2018 | 12 | #358 |
| 2017 | 17 | #272 |
| 2016 | 11 | #392 |
| 2015 | 9 | #464 |
| 2014 | 12 | #373 |
| 2013 | 8 | #496 |
| 2012 | 4 | #769 |
| 2011 | 6 | #613 |
| 2010 | 7 | #556 |
| 2009 | 5 | #641 |
| 2008 | 6 | #599 |
| 2007 | 4 | #704 |
| 2006 | 4 | #634 |
| 2005 | 3 | #690 |
| 2003 | 8 | #362 |
| 2002 | 4 | #512 |
| 2000 | 8 | #325 |
| 1998 | 3 | #499 |
| 1996 | 4 | #471 |
| 1995 | 7 | #352 |
| 1994 | 4 | #450 |
| 1993 | 10 | #300 |
| 1992 | 3 | #522 |
| 1991 | 5 | #423 |
| 1990 | 4 | #446 |
| 1989 | 5 | #408 |
| 1988 | 10 | #304 |
| 1987 | 15 | #256 |
| 1986 | 7 | #356 |
| 1985 | 9 | #325 |
| 1984 | 9 | #320 |
| 1983 | 15 | #260 |
| 1982 | 24 | #216 |
| 1981 | 32 | #193 |
| 1980 | 23 | #220 |
| 1979 | 16 | #261 |
| 1978 | 28 | #200 |
| 1977 | 46 | #150 |
| 1976 | 100 | #88 |
| 1975 | 239 | #34 |
| 1974 | 54 | #139 |
| 1973 | 60 | #131 |
| 1972 | 57 | #127 |
| 1971 | 73 | #113 |
| 1970 | 56 | #121 |
| 1969 | 72 | #102 |
| 1968 | 64 | #104 |
| 1967 | 71 | #96 |
| 1966 | 62 | #102 |
| 1965 | 69 | #96 |
| 1964 | 84 | #72 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Olive mean?
Olive tree
English, from Latin oliva (olive), a saint's name revived as a plant name.
Say it right
OLiv
The story of Olive
Olive comes from the Latin oliva, the olive. In the Middle Ages it was the name of a saint, Oliva, and it came back into use in the 19th century, when names taken from plants and flowers were in fashion. The olive branch has long stood for peace, and olive wreaths were once given to champions.
Olive was a familiar name in Ireland a generation or two ago. It was still in the top 100 in the mid-1960s, and reached number 72 in 1964. After that it faded, and by the 1990s only a few girls a year were named Olive.
It has started to return along with other short, old-fashioned names like Ivy and Mabel. There were 17 girls in 2025, the same as the year before. In Northern Ireland it reached number 119 in 2024.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Olive (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Olive (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
LivOllie
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Olive | 17 | 1,552 |
In Northern Ireland
#146 in 2025 with 13 babies. Best rank #119 (2024); 92 babies since 2013.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.