Oliver too popular?

[frogemmy89]

My husband and I really love the name Oliver (and can't agree on too many others that we both love), but I had no idea Oliver was so popular until I started looking at the top lists of names. I always thought I’d name my son something not in the top ten, but not so rare others didn’t have it. I grew up with a VERY common name, and didn't like having so many other people with my name in my class growing up. Personally I don’t know any Olivers, so I was really surprised to learn it was so popular! Do you think I will meet a ton of Olivers the second I give my son this name? I really love it (and love Ollie for a little kid too!), but I’m definitely concerned he’ll get lost in a sea of them (despite having not met any). I don't want to have name regret but right now I love it so much, but that may be partially because I don't know of many others!

It's been popular for years and years and is a classic name so for me it's not as problematic as something like Arlo which will immediately "date" your child to a period of time and sounds very trendy. I know a few but not overly so. If you love it just use it. That's what everyone else will say too!

We have one.
He is a teenager and likes his name. There's a few about, but it's never been an issue. No others in his class at primary.

Too popular is entirely subjective. There are enough parents who choose top ten names to keep them popular. Some parents will only look at names outside of the top 50, others the top 500.

It’s worth noting with name popularity that the most popular names are used less often than the most popular names used to be used. In 2019 Oliver was given to around 0.75% of babies born, around 5,000. In 1996 the most popular name that year (Jack) was given to 1.6% of babies, over 10,000. And the names that were popular when you were at school will have been given to a higher percentage of babies again. So the five Sarahs in a class effect should be less of a concern these days, as parents are picking from an increasingly wide pool of names.

The second point is that name trends are highly localised. I don’t know what area you are in, but if you are in a diverse/city area you are less likely to run into lots into lots of little Olivers than if you live in a more rural area where the boys names are George, Harry, William, Oliver, Freddie etc. You can look up name data per region, I don’t think that’s super helpful as pockets of popularity are often more local than that. Not sure if you have any friends with babies in your area, but might be worth asking how many Olivers they know.

With name popularity too, even if there are only two babies given that name in the whole country, there is no guarantee that the other child won’t be in your child’s class. At least with Oliver you will expect to meet other Olivers around and won’t be put out by it, unlike someone who has gone out of their way to find an unusual name!

I know 6 children called Oliver! I’d go for something more original.

I really like Oliver, doesn't matter if it's common. It's timeless, hundreds of years old so never likely to be a faddy name that dates.

It’s a lovely name but super popular. If you go on ONS as well to look at the number of Oliver’s there’s double the amount of Oliver’s compared to some names just a few spots down. Depends how important it is to you I guess! Odds are there will be a number of them in his class/year at school

I know several 2 are teens and there are 3 in one year group at my dcs large 2 form entry primary.
If you love the name don’t let popularity put you off, my dd name wasn’t even in the top 50 and she was 1 of 3 in her year group.

I have an Oliver.
I've also worked in childcare for years & years & only ever come across 2 others.

My last baby is Oliver. He's our fourth so our list of names was pretty empty! I'm a teacher and have only ever had 2 Olivers in my class over the years.

I didn't call ds2 Oliver because he has one of the most common uk surnames, and I thought the combination would be too much.

I think there's 2 Olivers in his year (of 70) - but there's also multiple dylans and tobys, and in ds1's year there's 3 Finlays, 2 jensens and 3 oscars - all names outside the top 10.

So what I'm trying to say, is just pick a name you love, you can't predict!

Interestingly, there are no David, John, Michael and Christopher in either class...

Top 10 names these days aren’t as popular as top 10 names 20 / 30 / 40 years ago, there’s a much wider range of names used these days.

As a pp said above, something like 0.75% of babies born in 2019 were named Oliver.
That’s less than 1% of babies.
If all those Oliver’s were spread evenly across the country, that’s 1 Oliver per 3 - 4 primary school classes.
Although having said that, names aren’t always spread evenly and there are unpredictable pockets of popularity. In my DC2’s nursery class for instance, there were 2 kids with the same relatively unusual name. It was the only name shared by more than 1 child in the class. I looked it up on the ONS baby name lists for the year DC2 was born - it was ranked at about 130 that year.

But anyway, I think you’d be really unlucky to end up with your DC lost in a sea of Oliver’s.
Personally I wouldn’t let the popularity of Oliver put me off if I really loved it.

I don't know any young Olivers. They are all teens and 20s now. Not heard a baby with the name for years.

I have a 9 year old Oliver.

He has never been in a class with another. I believe there are only 2 other Oliver's in his school.

If you love it, use it! I haven't heard it for any young children lately.

I have an 11 year old Oliver; he was the only one in his primary school until year 6, and I think there’s now 2 in Y7. Round here it’s Oscar that seems to be more popular. If you love it, use it.

My Oliver is 35 this year! Caused a stir then so uncommon. But if you like it use it.

I love the name Oliver, only ever known two and both lovely characters.

I know so many Oliver’s, it’s been popular for years. If you don’t want to give your son a popular name then definitely don’t go with Oliver!

I have a 12 year old Oliver and he's never been in a class with another. Like you we both loved the name and the fact it can be shortened to Ollie.

Like other posters have said, a name being at the top of the baby name list isn't as significant as it was a few years ago. I've only ever taught 1 Oliver (10 years + teaching). To be honest, I don't often have two children with the same name in my classes, although we usually have a handful of doubles across the year group. Those names aren't necessarily ones at the top of the lists either.

Really popular and really boring. I wouldn’t.

We have an Oliver because we loved the name and it sounds the same in another European language we use at home. There's another Oliver in the year below our son's. Have heard the name used at the park a couple of times.
No regrets, we still love the name as does Oliver.

There seems to be a bit of a misconception with Oliver that it only became popular about 20 or so years ago. Historical data is only released every ten years, but Oliver was in the top 100 by 1974 and was number 48 by 1984, which is fairly popular at the least (it’s beyond the point in popularity I would consider using it). That means that it is less likely to date (unlike Wayne, just a few spots below it) as it has now been well used for fifty years. The flip side to that is that means that as well as having many Olivers in his peer group, he will enter work with many Olivers of all ages around him too.

I’ve worked in schools for the last 12 years OP and I’ve only ever taught 2 Oliver’s, I love the name but could never use it for DC as I have a sibling with the same name

My 12 year old Oliver was the only one in his small primary school. I only know 2 others (1 is a baby the other an older child). I think it definitely depends on the area, how popular it is. I just love the name and wouldn't let anything put you off. When I called my eldest James it was number 1 boys name, and we've never known any others!

Two Olivers in year 2 at my school, plus one (that I know of) in years 1 and 4. Probably more in the school!
It is a cute name but no getting away from how popular it is.

I have one! He’s the only one in his class and I don’t care that it’s popular. It’s popular because it’s a lovely name. If you like it, go for it!