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Original poster

Who is still naming their babies Oliver and Olivia?

231 replies

Algor1thm · 20/10/2022 22:07

Controversial... but really...

I work in a job where I meet lots of little kids and there are just so, so many. Half my friends are also married to or dating Ollies so it's not even limited to one generation. Does it being the top name for so long really not put people off?

I am aware that Oliver was recently knocked off the top spot, but still.

I'm also aware that this is going to be unpopular because approximately 50% of you probably have one yourself 😂

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Shelbellsanddoodles · 20/10/2022 22:24

I don't know any of either name, around here the girls are all Lilly and boys are Aaron. DC go to a tiny school (22 kids in total) and we had 3 Aaron all with different spelling.

Ihatethenewlook · 20/10/2022 22:26

I’ve known two Olivia’s and one Ollie in my life. In one class of 29 pupils in my eldest DD’s school there’s 4 Joshua’s (and no I’m not exaggerating) and 3 lexi may/maes. Just name your kid what you want to name your kid

Haycorns4Piglet · 20/10/2022 22:27

I've worked with children for 15 years and I can count the Olivers/Olivias on one hand. I scratch my head over them supposedly being the most common names for so long.

Lindengericht · 20/10/2022 22:28

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 20/10/2022 22:10

I do 🤷‍♀️. He’s 13 and Oli suits him down to the ground. He’s never actually called Oliver though.

Same!

DietrichandDiMaggio · 20/10/2022 22:28

I'm surprised so many of your friends have partners called Oliver, because when we used it 30 years ago it really wasn't that common/popular.

woff45 · 20/10/2022 22:29

I actually don't know any Oliver/Ollies, one Olivia. Harry is the most over used boy name I know.

Fiddlersgreen · 20/10/2022 22:30

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

DietrichandDiMaggio · 20/10/2022 22:31

Whatthefuck3456 · 20/10/2022 22:23

i can’t stand the name Olivia I don’t understand why people use it

Because they don't feel the same as you do about it?

Original poster
Algor1thm · 20/10/2022 22:32

@DietrichandDiMaggio there were two in my primary class in the 90s and then a further two in my year group at secondary. Maybe all the Olivers in the country live in my local area 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Algor1thm · 20/10/2022 22:32

@woff45 I'll agree with that, so many Harrys

OP posts:
JamSandle · 20/10/2022 22:34

I dont know any! Literally not one.

MarieKlepto · 20/10/2022 22:54

OP, I find it, not odd, but interesting. I know a 17 year old Olivia and a 15 year old Oliver. When they were born, these were really popular names and still seem to be. Given how fickle everything else is in life in terms of the zeitgeist it's amazing these are still up there after a generation.

dogsod · 20/10/2022 22:57

Sleepyquest · 20/10/2022 22:14

I often wonder this. If you know it's the most popular name, why would you use it? Yet many people do! Baffles me

am I missing something? how are you supposed to know what the most popular name is? and surely you can't find out if the name is popular until your child goes to school and you start interacting with loads of other children the same age. unless you're a teacher?

megletthesecond · 20/10/2022 23:00

I have a popular name and it's a nightmare. I do wonder why people still use popular names. The ONS list is pretty easy to understand.

Wheredoallthepensgo · 20/10/2022 23:03

I know one mid teen Olivia and one Oliver in his 20's.

Ok, the number one name Olivia was given to 3,649 babies in 2021 in England and Wales (according to the Times)
There were estimated 625K live births so say over 310K girls. So even on this rough estimate that roughly 1 in every 85 girls named Olivia. So not guaranteed to have five in every class like people claim.

Wheredoallthepensgo · 20/10/2022 23:05

@dogsod the list of names published every year by the Office of National Statistics and there's always media articles about it in the few days after the release of the stats.

AriettyHomily · 20/10/2022 23:05

I know one Oliver, one Ollie and one Olivia. All different ages.

specialk9 · 20/10/2022 23:06

I have an Oliver. I used it because I absolutely love the name. I honestly didn't give any thought to it being one of the most popular names.

For reference in his year at School (60 kids) there is one other Oliver who is known as Oli.

I know one other Oliver who is 14.

There was one boy in my School year called Oliver (Oli) - I'm early 40s

I have honestly never met another Oliver, whether that be through employed or social circles.

SarahAndQuack · 20/10/2022 23:07

I'd be well up for a child called Olivia. She's a Shakespeare heroine who patently fancies women and is totally no-nonsense about it - and she's the local ruler.

But otherwise, well ... surely they're popular names because people like them? Lots of people like the idea of their child having a name that doesn't stick out.

canteatlovefood · 20/10/2022 23:12

I have an Oliver (Ollie) who's 4 and is the only one in his year group. My eldest is 9 and there are no Oliver's or Olivia's in her class.
I know no other Oliver's and only one Olivia (newborn)
I've never met an Oliver around my age ever.

It's a lovely name (obviously my opinion as I used it) and doesn't seem to be the most popular in my area by a long shot.
We know multiple Florence's & Leo's

YerAWizardHarry · 20/10/2022 23:13

I teach in a (smallish) school and we have 3 Oliver’s.
My son goes to another (much larger) school and they have 3 there too..

MarigoldPetals · 20/10/2022 23:14

Love Oliver.
Prefer Olive to Olivia.

DramaAlpaca · 20/10/2022 23:14

Oliver is a family name for us, going back generations. We didn't use it but considered it. All our family's Olivers are over 40 these days.

MarigoldPetals · 20/10/2022 23:17

I hardly think it’s a problem having a popular name. Just add in the surname eg Oliver S or Oliver Smith, hardly a traumatising experience.

YerAWizardHarry · 20/10/2022 23:17

There were 56,000 live births in Scotland the year my son was born so let’s argue 28,000 boys…
there were 334 Oliver’s born that year so literally just over 1% of boys