How to say it
OL · ive
/ˈɒl.ɪv/
Feminine
Olive
Olive tree
What it means
English for the olive tree, from Latin oliva. The same root that gave us Olivia, but Olive as a given name picks up the vintage-revival flower-and-plant wave directly.
Olive comes from the Latin oliva (the olive tree), through Old French. As a given name Olive picked up in the late 19th century with the broader vintage flower-name wave (Daisy, Violet, Iris). Olive Oyl (Popeye's cartoon girlfriend, since 1919) is the strongest pop-culture anchor. The name dropped through the mid-20th century and has come back since 2010; some families pick it because Olivia is too common but the olive-tree imagery still appeals. It's also a unisex pick in some communities. Single short forms aren't common.
Popularity over time
peaked at #82 in 1893, currently #197 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Olive Oyl (Popeye, since 1919) is the most-recognized Olive in English-language pop culture; Easy A's Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) is the modern counterweight.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Olive Oyl Popeye's tall, thin girlfriend in the comic strip since 1919
- Olive Penderghast Emma Stone's character in Easy A, 2010
Spelling variants
- Oliva
- Olivia
Names with the same feeling
See Olive from another angle
By meaning
By style