Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Thoughts on / alternatives to Olive?

105 replies

Reclining · 28/12/2022 08:05

Please help! This is the only name we can agree on but I'm not 100% sure.

Little sister to Jasmine.

We're not keen on names ending in -a but not 100% against.

Prefer familiar names that aren't super popular.

Slightly put off Olive because of the popularity of Oliver and Olivia (is that rational?)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Talapia · 29/12/2022 02:54

I also think of Olive Oil, Olive from on the buses and wasn't little Miss Sunshine Olive? It does sound like a frumpy plain name next to Jasmine .

How about
Heather
Tess
Meredith nickname Edie
Elisabeth
Elspeth

Trez1510 · 29/12/2022 02:46

Jasmine & Libby
Jasmine & Phoebe
Jasmine & Verity
Jasmine & Felicity
Jasmine & Lottie
Jasmine & Lois
Jasmine & Calista

Conkered · 28/12/2022 23:50

Alice

DeadDonkey · 28/12/2022 23:28

I really like Olive - but what about Florence.

Consufed · 28/12/2022 22:23

How about

Lucy
Honor
Cerys
Frances
Zoe
Pearl
Romy

Mumofgirls2017 · 28/12/2022 22:11

I love Olive and think has different feel to Olivia/ Oliver. However alternatives:

ottilie
orla
iris
violet
clementine
willow
ivy
wren
river
coral
flora
juniper
clover
eden

HoldingTheDoor · 28/12/2022 18:01

Olive is such a frumpy awkward name. I'll never understand the attraction.

Gingersnappy · 28/12/2022 17:49

Love Olive

KirstenBlest · 28/12/2022 15:30

On the Buses. Olive Oyl.
Jasmine is lovely but Olive is awful

excelledyourself · 28/12/2022 15:27

Jasmine and Sadie

cafenoirbiscuit · 28/12/2022 15:21

I know it ends with an a, but I love Martha.

DramaAlpaca · 28/12/2022 15:16

I adore Olive, even though I remember On The Buses.

How about Daphne?

countrypunk · 28/12/2022 15:12

@ekm21 I think Jessica is a lovely middle name for Olive.

If I had daughters they'd be called Olive and Mabel!

SemperIdem · 28/12/2022 14:27

Olive is such an unattractive name, I’m mystified by it’s popularity.

I think Sylvie sounds nice with Jasmine.

ekm21 · 28/12/2022 14:03

Absolutely LOVE Olive and it will 99% be our next child’s name (if we get another girl). My only issue with it is that I can’t find a perfect middle name.

We have a Mabel. Also love Margot and Elva.

tasamoon · 28/12/2022 11:21

I'm another one who really dislikes Olive I'm afraid. Olive oil, a brown, greasy name. Whereas Jasmine is such a pretty, glamorous name!

What about:

Alice
Eve
Amber
Belle
Ellie
Elle
Isobel
Xanthe
Juliet
Lydia
Iseult
Aster
Elise
Delphine

JenniferVeronique · 28/12/2022 10:42

I like both Olive and Olivia though I wouldn't use them myself.

Love the suggestion of Clover! I think Jasmine and Clover would make cute sisters. Jasmine and Violet sound adorable together too.

Oher · 28/12/2022 10:25

Not keen on Olive, personally. Just doesn’t have a particularly nice sound or meaning. And yes Popeye 😬 If you love it you should use it and ifnorenus, but if you don’t love it, keep looking.

If you like semi-unusual nature names are any of these any good?

Robyn
Rowena
Lilith
Juniper
Cassia
Farley
Clover

CaptBuckyOHare · 28/12/2022 10:23

Olive has grown on me, mainly due to my daughter's obsession with Odd Squad! However I don't think it pairs well with Jasmine.

If youre looking for a floral name, how about:
Lilac
Leilani (think this pairs really nicely with Jasmine)
Marguerite
Orchid (if you want something a bit more out there!)
Marigold

cariadlet · 28/12/2022 10:14

I'm another one who immediately thinks of On The Buses. I thought of it as an awful name for years.

Then I taught an Olive. She's a lovely girl and I associate the name with her now.

If it becomes a popular name, negative connotations will disappear for most people.

Zarzuela · 28/12/2022 10:11

The Jasmine I know has a sister called Eden/Edie, think they go well.

Lavendersquare · 28/12/2022 10:10

When I hear Olive I first think of Olive from On the Buses, and secondly the Labrador Olive from Olive & Mabel, neither would make me consider the name for a baby. You do also realise that she will be forever known as Olive Oil in school!

As others have said, Jasmine is such a pretty name and Olive just isn't. One is a fragrant exotic flower the other is a dull fruit that we get cooking oil from. I know you're not keen but Olivia is much prettier and doesn't have any of the oily/dullness of Olive.

Krakenwakes · 28/12/2022 10:06

I really dislike Olive. I find it ugly and dull next to Jasmine. I like plain and simple names, but Olive is a step too far.

Plantsaregreen · 28/12/2022 10:06

I really don’t get the popularity of Olive. I know 3 young Olive’s all born within a year of each other and I think the parents all wanted something unusual! It’s also so close to Olivia, so I don’t understand using it if you want an unusual name. I think it’s also rising fast in popularity. The kids named it are all lovely so that has made it grow on me a bit, but I’m not a huge fan.

Singleandproud · 28/12/2022 10:02

My grandmother and her sisters all had floral names
Olive
Ivy
Daisy
Poppy
Rosemary
Willow