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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

How many Olivers/Olivias do you actually know?

64 replies

Junebug55 · 17/03/2019 15:43

I know these two have been the top baby names for donkeys, but annoyingly I really like them both (we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl) and they go well with our awkward one syllable surname.

I have a fair few friends with children and there are no Oliver's or Olivia's.. so I was curious to know how many everyone else knew? I wonder if there are any regional influences, is it a more southern or northern name perhaps??

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gt84 · 17/03/2019 18:05

I know 2 adult Oliver’s and no Olivia’s.
Have met one child Olivia (now 9)

My DS is Oliver (15) he has 2 more in his year (small year group, 100 pupils)
He plays sports and always, always there’s another Oliver in the opposition team. Every single week

SuziQ10 · 17/03/2019 18:03

2 Olivers in DD class. I know 1 grown up Oliver too.
Countless Oliviers. It's a gorgeous name but I know so many, it's two a penny. Too well used to be on my list however nice it might be.

SweetbutaPsycho · 17/03/2019 17:57

3 Olivias under 5 and 2 olivers both under 3. I don't know a lot of children as well so that's just friends and their relatives!

Sui21 · 17/03/2019 17:54

I'm also an Olivia in my 30s with a 2 year old. I know one Olivia who is 11, one who is 1 and do swimming lessons where in the class and the class before ours there is an Olivia in each. I also seem to hear the name a lot when out but heavily suspect that's because my ear is tuned to it as it's my name.

BloominSloe · 17/03/2019 17:49

My name is Olivia, in my 30's. I know 1 Oliver, he's 21. I've got one child (3) and we don't know of any other Olivia/Oliver's in any of the groups we've ever been to.

blue25 · 17/03/2019 17:00

7 Oliver's. 4 Olivia's.
Go for something more original!

HexagonalBattenburg · 17/03/2019 17:00

5 Olivias in my eldest's year group.

Couple of Olivers in my youngest's.

Colourpencils · 17/03/2019 16:58

I don't know any Olivia's but do know 4 Oliver's aged 16-20

Walnutwhipster · 17/03/2019 16:55

When I named my twenty something DS Oliver it wasn't even in the top 100 names and he was the only one I knew for years.

Original poster
Junebug55 · 17/03/2019 16:52

Thanks everyone, really helpful. I had visions of there being about 5 or 6 in every school classroom the way people talk about it but it doesn't seem quite as extreme as that. We have a couple of other name options too but it'd be nice to keep these on the table if poss. I don't think I'll rule them out now Smile

OP posts:
clary · 17/03/2019 16:48

Tho obvs Olivia Coleman disproves my point 😂😂

clary · 17/03/2019 16:45

I know loads of both. I was a secondary teacher until a year ago and there was at least one Oliver/Olivia in most classes. Interestingly Olivia is quite a recent name. I work in an NHS Trust and was searching for an Olivia in the staff directory - there were several, they were ALL student nurses (therefore probs young, tho I realise not necessarily).

Both nice names tho op, use them if you like them.

behindlocknumbernine · 17/03/2019 16:40

My ds is Oliver. Now aged 19. He was the only one in his year in primary school (3 form entry)
At secondary school I think he was one of 7 in his year (10 form entry, huge school)

In ds's class at primary school was an Olivia. She was the only one in the entire primary school whilst she was there.

I am a TA. In my school (360 pupils) there are currently 2 Olivers (aged 11 and 8) and 2 Olivias (aged 10 and 8)

Both lovely, timeless names. Good choices :)

PotteringAlong · 17/03/2019 16:34

I have an Oliver. And there is an Olivia in DS1’s class at school (she’s 7) and I teach a 15 year old Olivia. I don’t know any more.

Hiddenaspie1973 · 17/03/2019 16:32

1 x Olivia who is 17.

Arowana · 17/03/2019 16:22

I know lots of each. Two boys called Oliver or Ollie in DS2's class, two more in his football team, one in DS1's class, one in DD's class, one family friend. Two Olivias in DD's class (none in DS1 or DS2's classes) and several in outside school activities.

I would go for it though. Both lovely names.

Fr3d · 17/03/2019 16:17

2 Oliver's aged 40's and 9
2 Olivias both 40's

imnottoofussed · 17/03/2019 16:15

I know one of each. Olivia age 18, Oliver age 10.

Justus22 · 17/03/2019 16:14

8 Olivers (just 1 in his 30's the rest are 10 and under but my 10 yr old son has 3 in his class of 30.) 3 Olivia's (1 in her 20's, a 5 Yr old and a baby.)

3boysandabump · 17/03/2019 16:04

One Oliver (my son) and one Olivia (in his class at school)

Pengweng · 17/03/2019 16:03

Two Olivias and one Oliver in my nursery class.
Another 4 Olivias and 3 Olivers in the rest of the two form entry school.

BartonHollow · 17/03/2019 16:02

3 Olivia's - 2 in their 20s, one who'd be primary age

2 Oliver's , 1 in his 40s, 1 about 6

Sakura7 · 17/03/2019 16:01

Bear in mind name popularity now is a bit different to how it was in the past. There's a much wider variety of names being used, so in percentage terms the top names have less of a share than they used to.

ONS data is interesting. In 2017, only 10% of girls, and 13% of boys, had a name from the top ten. Lots of babies had unique names as well. Link below:
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/babynamesenglandandwales/2017

woodcutbirds · 17/03/2019 16:00

I know 4 Olivers and 1 Olivia, aged 13-17

Rachelhaydenberk1 · 17/03/2019 16:00

I know several newborn babies named Olivia. One toddler named Oliver - in the states! I like Olivia as a potential middle name as I've shared. But it's too common to me as a first name rn.

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