Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Baby names

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Oliver too popular?

49 replies

frogemmy89 · 11/06/2021 17:23

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!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LST · 11/06/2021 20:52

Mine is 7 and there is no more in his year. There is 1 more in the school and we don't know anyone else called Oliver. Anything ending in den is popular at our school. And Archie, George and Freddie

LadyCatStark · 11/06/2021 20:52

DS was one of 3 in his class at primary school. I still love it though and so does he 🥰.

Mareofwesttown · 11/06/2021 20:53

Why does it matter?
If you love it, that’s that. I really couldn’t care less what other people think.

Thisnamewasnttaken123 · 11/06/2021 20:55

A lovely, classic name.
I don't think it's overly popular.

Drunkenmonkey · 12/06/2021 14:06

It's very popular but you can see that from the name stats. It's a nice name but I wouldn't choose a name that is that popular personally. I tend to think of the millions of Johns and Daves I know my age, I always get them mixed up and their names just sound so bland from overuse. It's refreshing to hear a different name.

sarah13xx · 12/06/2021 14:18

We have chosen a different name but the same thing happened to us when I looked up the name lists and was shocked to see it was top 10. I instantly went off it and spent weeks hunting for another name, made so many lists and had names I liked but just didn’t love the same. In the end up we’ve decided just to go for the name we originally loved. I’m a teacher and these top 10 name lists are rarely the names you find multiples of in a class. I’ve had two Blakes, Andrews, Ethans etc but have never taught an Oliver. Have only ever worked in one school with an Oliver in it that I can think of and I think it’s been top 10 for years. It has fallen slightly on the name list where I stay so not sure if it’s gone down any where you are but I’d take that as a good thing and just go for it or you’ll maybe wish you had x

Violetlavenders · 12/06/2021 17:10

We know SO many Oliver's aged 18 and below that they need their surname to be identified. It's become too overused and unmemorable.

I'd choose a more interesting and more memorable name personally.

Violetlavenders · 12/06/2021 17:13

Why does it matter?

Because an overused name no longer fulfills it's main purpose of identifying a person.

I know so many adult Steves and so many young Olivers that they need a surname or other identifier to identify them properly.

Also overused names can sound dated as they fall out of fashion.

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 13/06/2021 14:36

It’s absolutely impossible for anyone here to tell you if it’s too popular because that’s such a subjective judgment.

I can tell you that, rather like Jack, it has been popular for long enough that there are a lot of teenage Olivers around - it has been top 5 since 2005. Weirdly I have met two pairs of Oliver CommonSurname who have come up to secondary school from the same year 6 class and have had to be known as either Oliver or Ollie for years in order to distinguish them, without much choice in the matter.

Violetlavenders · 13/06/2021 15:02

I have met two pairs of Oliver CommonSurname who have come up to secondary school from the same year 6 class

I know 3 adults called Steve Smith and two teens called Edward Smith!

Why do parents with popular surnames give their kids such common names?

80Days · 13/06/2021 22:10

Why do parents with popular surnames give their kids such common names?

Because they love the name?
And a bit of anonymity isn’t necessarily such a terrible thing.

Violetlavenders · 14/06/2021 13:53

That's why popularity is a very subjective issue. Personally I'd hate to have to share my exact name with lots of others.

beans1992 · 15/06/2021 18:33

FWIW I hear Olivia for girls way more than Oliver for boys. I only know of one who is 3.

If you really like it then just use it and don’t worry too much. He will be your Ollie so that’s what is important.

daisypond · 15/06/2021 18:55

I don’t know a single Oliver. God knows where they all are. My elderly parents’ friends’ grandson is called Oliver. Must be in his late 20s. That’s as close as I get to knowing one.

Violetlavenders · 15/06/2021 19:16

He will be your Ollie so that’s what is important.

Of course he'll be 'your' Ollie, but surely popularity is an important consideration?

Sausagedogmom · 15/06/2021 19:50

I sometimes wonder if there exists a secret place where all the young Olivers live I know two, one is a close friend of my Dad (55 yrs), the other one is in his 30ies. I meet other boys with names of the top ten, but never an Oliver.

JaJaNein · 16/06/2021 06:46

I feel like every boy born has been either Oliver or Archie for the last 10 years in my peer group.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 16/06/2021 07:04

It may be popular overall in the country but there’s only 1 Oliver in our school of 250 pupils. It depends where you live.

inappropriateraspberry · 16/06/2021 07:07

Love the name! Don't know any children called it round here. It doesn't really matter if it popular though. You both like it, it's a classic name that won't date and will suit him as an adult as well.

earthyfire · 23/06/2021 12:11

I have one, it's very popular, we didn't know another one at primary school but he is one of three in his class at secondary but I still love it.

JellyBellySmith · 02/07/2021 22:43

Just as another point - I know someone else has mentioned ONS data. Yes, Oliver is popular currently (and has been for at least a decade), but I wouldn't let your experiences of having a popular name in the 80s/90s worry you too much. Name variety was much more limited then - a top 5 name would belong to 9,000-10,000 boys that year, whereas in 2019, the top 5 names belong to 3000-4500 boys born that year. So if there were 3 boys called Thomas in your class as a kid, now the equivalent ranked name would be more likely to just be 1.

Obviously, it's totally down to chance. I know of one baby Oliver in the last 10 years out of all mine and my husband's Facebook friends, baby/toddler classes, nursery etc etc, but two babies called Orlando...

MouldyPotato · 03/07/2021 06:05

If you love it use it. Why should your baby get any other name than your favourite?

Maggiesfarm · 03/07/2021 08:12

I like the name Oliver. It's classic. Better to give a child a classic name than something fancy and/or made up; an Oliver will not have the mick taken out of him at school because of his name. Go for it.

Chilldonaldchill · 03/07/2021 08:40

I agree with the pp who said that, if you live in a city/more mixed area, you're less likely to come across lots of Olivers than if you live somewhere more rural.
Anecdotally, my children are all late teens and have grown up in London. There were two Olivers in their entire primary school and about one in each year (200+ pupils per year) at secondary school.
I have friends with Olivers living in Devon/Cumbria/small town in North East and all their Olivers are known as Oliver Surname because there are lots of them (admittedly they are all aged 11+).
I do like the name.

Flip

1 2