Where are all the Olivias?

btw my favourite out of your short-list is Alice. so lovely and classic (and not too popular atm!). would use it myself but already 2 in the family

I'm in the North West and know loads of Olivia's. Its definitely a very popular name round here

All the Olivias have obviously been shipped off to Olivia Island... I don't know a single one. It's Evie all the way here.

I have an almost 4 year old one, she has just started nursery school, is the only one, and none in dd1s primary school year.

if you love the name don't worry about popularity. i chose my daughter's name (Beatrice) thinking she would be the only one etc and there are now two other Beatrice's in her class at nursery (all born within 4 days of each other) and as we and the other parents plan on staying in the area the chances are they will be going through school together as well. there are no Olivia's or Oliver's at the nursery though! the trend around here seems to be Harry for boys (9 in my daughters nursery plus 3 in my current class), and Amelia for girls.

I know loads. Every other person my dd (14) talks about seems to be called Olivia.

I've got one upstairs!

Olivia is a lovely name. Pick that one.

There are loads here in Cheshire.

I have just counted up with DD and between us we know 15 Olivias!

I know 6 of them but far more Isabella/Isobels. And between the Emmas, Emilys and Emilias probably about 10 (4 Emilys and one Emilie in DS's class a few years ago). I also know several Sophie/Sophias, and hear the name all the time when I'm out.

I think Olivia is a really lovely name though. Maybe a lot of mothers were subconsciously thinking of Olivia Newton John (v popular back in the late 70s and early 80s when I was young and impressionable) as well as the Cosby show?

Of the names you have on your list, I love Alice -- shame it's vetoed.

The only Olivia I know is nearly 12yo.
Ruby & Phoebe still popular around here, for under 3s.

I know 3 under 18 months, another 3 under 5 years.

Amelia is bang on trend round here. I know 5 under 18 months.

I used to know an Althea, nn Ally or Thea depending on context. Alethea is lovely.

My DD had one Olivia in her small class at her old school, and has one in her class at her new school. I know of several more, though, including one of my mother's sisters, who is 71. She was so embarrassed by her incredibly outlandish name when she was growing up that she used to tell everyone she was called Olive. How times change.

I know several Emilias/Amelias. Your DS's nursery seems to have most of the popular names covered - they all tend to crop up in my children's classes too. In the end, I think you just have to choose a name you absolutely love, regardless of whether there's one or a million other children with the same name.

When my Olivia was about 5 I was talking about Shakespearean heroines and DH was looking a little puzzled - what relevance to our DD?

I explained, that's where we got her name from - Olivia, Twelfth Night?
Oh no, he said, I thought it was from that little girl on the Cosby Show, never heard of the Shakespeare one ...

Love 'Thea', really pretty.

There was an Olivia in the cosby's - at least that's where I remember it from.

I also have an Olivia (13), but that's her "naughty name" :o, she's almost always Livvy/Liv. I've only come across two other Olivias in all that time, she's never been at school with another one. I have a reception starter this year and it seems Katie is the number one name where I am (East of England)

I know only one Olivia. My DD! I agree that for such a popular name I'm surprised I've never come across another. Lily and Ruby are the ones I hear most now which is ironic as they were both on my list as more 'unusual' choices.

I know of one Olivia amongst friends and one LIVIA in dd's Gymboree class, not sure about her nursery. Imo I no longer think it's that popular now. It's been taken over by all the Rubys / Isabellas / Ellas and Evas!

Emilia is lovely. As are the others but that's my favourite

On the national statistics doc you can see the top ten names by region.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-225089

Open the excel spreadsheet and look at table 4. That shows you where they are. Olivia is definitely very popular everywhere, even if you haven't met them!

DD is 12 months. In that time...

I've met lots of Isabel, Isobel, Isabelle, Isabella variants.
I've met lots of Amelia/Emilias.

I haven't met an Olivia.

We are in the East of England. You might want to see if your local hospital keeps stats as I noticed that ours don't quite match the national picture.

I love Alice

Yes, best wait until you meet her to be really sure and it won't hurt to be nameless for a day or too if you need a bit more time.

Good luck for the birth.

I have a 20 yr old Olivia. Love all the names on yr short list apart from althea. Agree you will probably know when you meet her.

I have one but she is the only one in our village and the only one in the school. We are in Norfolk.