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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Is Oliver too common?

46 replies

arolf · 10/06/2009 12:59

I'm scottish, and my other half is eastern european, hence has a tricky to spell/pronounce surname, so we've decided to go for names which work in both languages - and have pretty much settled on Oliver for a boy, or Alice for a girl.

However, several friends have told us 'Oh whatever name you choose, avoid Oliver, it's just soooo common these days', even though we've not told anyone our choice of name. Is it really so common?

Also, does a common first name matter when the surname is so unusual? (it's a pretty rare name even in his country - as in, anyone with that surname is probably related to him).

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dinkymum · 11/06/2009 23:36

im in lots of different circles of children (tots, nursery, dance class etc etc) and I only know one. HTH!

simplesusan · 11/06/2009 23:17

I like Oliver and would go with it.
Don't worry about it being popular, so are most boys names tbh unless you start verging onto the slightly ridiculous/effeminate side.

margotandjerry · 11/06/2009 21:51

yes

Original poster

arolf · 11/06/2009 14:21

he's getting a Czech middle name - not a weird one, but not a traditional british name. my fiance is letting me choose middle names since they don't have them over there, so I've let my imagination run wild a bit, then just chosen a name that runs in his family :-) but the temptation to go for Bohuslav or Kvetoslav was very great...

OP posts:

Ineedsomesleep · 11/06/2009 14:10

Yes arolf, that's exactly how it works. Mum has an unusal name and gave me a popular one. (1 of 5 in class). Luckily DH intervened and we have a George. DD's name is a little unusual but we've given her Lucy as a middle name and she can always use that.

madwomanintheattic · 11/06/2009 14:07

give him rehor as a middle name - he can use whichever one he likes later on

Original poster

arolf · 11/06/2009 13:38

damn, it's really a common name, isn't it?! Oh well, tough, I had a freakishly different name (still do) as a kid, and always wished my name was more normal. So baby can grow up wishing he was called Rupert or Rehor (a nice czech name) or something, then when he names his offspring, can give them weirdo names in revenge. that's how it works, isn't it?

OP posts:

madwomanintheattic · 11/06/2009 13:34

bounty, have you namechanged 'cos' you're too cool a poster to admit to looking at bounty, or are you a professional poster cruising other fora to advertise lol?

Bounty2009 · 11/06/2009 12:05

Message withdrawn

hippipotamiHasLost36Pounds · 11/06/2009 10:36

It is really not that common as far as I know.
Ds (age nearly 10) is one of three Olivers in a school of 560 pupils.
I have just been invigilating at our local secondary school and have been looking at all the names - out of 290 Y11 students there are 2 Olivers.
My friend has an Oliver (also age nearly 10), he is the only one in his school of 240 pupils.
And there is a little Oliver at our local nursery school, the only one out of the 80 pupils there.

So it is a name that has always been there, and always will be there, but not in the mulitples in which we see Thomas, Jack, William around here (Surrey)

sonniboo · 11/06/2009 10:29

We're in South West London and there are LOADS of little Ollies and Olivers...., so personally I'd avoid it if it that would bother you.

giveloveachance · 11/06/2009 09:45

www.statistics.gov.uk/specials/babiesnames_boys.asp

giveloveachance · 11/06/2009 09:43

Check out the top 100 baby names - just type it in to google and you will see the most popular names over the last few years.

Ollie / oliver is lovely but it is getting very popular where I live too.

EssieW · 11/06/2009 09:39

I have an Oliver - there is one other in his nursery age group but we don't know any others. Apparently, they're known at the moment as Big Oliver and Little Oliver (mine).

Lovely name though - and the only one we both liked when naming him and we have no regrets even though it is popular.

We're also pondering about Alice for baby due in Oct so we clearly share your excellent taste!

JeanLouiseFinch · 10/06/2009 22:32

Very common but if you like it go for it.

lechatnoir · 10/06/2009 22:21

I would say it's definitely up there with the more popular names although I only know 2 (kent) and 1 is 6 months and the other is 36 - it's lovely so I wouldn't let that put you off.
LCN

AtheneNoctua · 10/06/2009 22:04

Gosh, I had no idea Oliver was popular. I only know one Oliver and he is a grown man at my office.

barnsleybelle · 10/06/2009 21:55

I love Oliver and it's not popular where i live.
Does that really matter anyway if you like it.

Hulababy · 10/06/2009 21:52

I really like the name Oliver, despite in being popular. I know of 3 or 4 amongst various friends and families.

However there is no Oliver int he class I work in, nor in the year group of 90.

DD would have been called oliver had she been a boy.

suwoo · 10/06/2009 21:48

My BF's DS is Oliver he is 7. I know of no others at all. We are in Manchester.

sophiesmummie · 10/06/2009 21:47

There are 3 Oliver's in my dd's class - which can get confusing.... Personally, I wouldn't chose on that basis. Shame, as it's a lovely name.

angel1976 · 10/06/2009 20:58

DS was going to be Oliver till a month before he was born and I had a look at the list of popular names released by whatever department that I can't recall right now and Oliver has been in the top 3 for boys' names for the last 5 years! I had no idea it was so popular. Glad we named DS something else as in toddler groups in the area so far (SE London), I've met 3 Olivers/Ollies, but none with DS's name.

Agree with BikeRunSki! When DH's cousin's son was born and named Finlay 5 years ago, they were the laughing stock of the family as no one had HEARD of the name! Since then, I've met several (especially in the last few years...).

BikeRunSki · 10/06/2009 20:51

Millions of Olivers around here (S/W Yorks). Every other boy in the village age between 10 and 10 days seems to be called Oliver or Finlay.

gladders · 10/06/2009 16:45

pretty popular round here (S London) - Of 20 boys in ds's year (age 4) - there are 4 Olivers - one is Ollie but the others are Oliver P, Oliver L and Oliver E

also know lots of littler Ollies and Olivers...

BexieID · 10/06/2009 16:29

I don't know any little Olivers. Or big ones come to think of it.

Tell a lie, my brother went to school with an Oliver, but thats it.

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