The Baby Name Wizard

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Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Olivia!

Comments and insights on the name Olivia: | Edit

Olivia "travels well" as evidenced by her high ranking in quite a few countries. It has the same spelling in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Finnish, German and Hungarian, making it a great choice for parents who anticipate a lot of travel or who want a name that extended family members around the world can easily pronounce.

Olivia is very stylish right now- it has the same charm as names like Hannah and Emma and the cute nickname Livvy and Liv. There's not many names that sound like Olivia, so it's not easily mixed up with other names.

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Olivia is a very beatiful and elegant name. When I think of an Olivia I think of dark elegance and striking beauty.

My name is Olivia and I love it. I'm so proud that my wonderful parents picked it.
They said when I was born I just looked like an Olivia and not anything else.
I usually use my nickname,Livvy,when I'm with my friends but if I'm out with my
mum or dad and there friends ask my name I say Olivia and I always get complimented on it.
Virtual high five to all you Olivia out there !! :)

I had always wanted to name my daughter after the mother on the Waltons, and I did so in 1990, when the name was still rare, little knowing it would be just before the huge "Olivia" wave hit. The name has other associations here in Europe--it is seen as quite a sexy name and at least one famous German drag queen uses it. It is the sort of lovely-sounding name that makes a plain woman more intriguing and a pretty woman even more beautiful, and it always sounds intelligent.

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Our first daughter is named Olivia Belle. We've always loved the name Olivia, but as she grows bigger and brighter we've become increasingly satisfied with our choice. She gets lots of compliments on her name, and with her dark hair, big eyes, and surprisingly toothy grin (for an 18-month-old), she sure is a charmer. Despite its rising popularity, I've yet to actually meet an Olivia anywhere near our daughter's age.

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My name is Olivia and it's funny because above it says "intelligent" and I was very intelligent through elementary school. I was named Olivia before the big Olivia hit. Someone else commented on how Olivia means "elf army", and I happen to be in the 18th percent range for height for teens my age.

My name is Olivia and I really like it. I didn't so much when I was younger but I have come to appreciate it. It can be so many things - cute, sophisticated, sexy, etc. I also really like the meaning ("peace"). It's interesting so many new little ones are being named this now. Not many people had it when I was growing up. I only ever met one other girl with my name. Now it's interesting to meet all these little Olivias!
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My best friend's name is Olivia and I love it...I wish it was my name hehe

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My cousin's name is Olivia. She's a loony! :P

Olivia is #3 on the list of top 100 cool baby girl names in the baby name book "Cool Names" by Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz.

We named our daughter Olivia, not knowing how popular it was and is. But it completely fits her-beautiful dark haired charming girl.

I love the name Olivia! I hope by the time I have children Olivia will go out of style because I'll definitely name my daughter Olivia.

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I love the name Olivia, but my husband said he thinks of Popeye's Olive Oil when he hears the name... hmmm... I don't really like that.

Personal experiences with the name Olivia: | Edit

Many of the Olivias I have met are very beautiful and intelligent. When I hear the name Olivia, I see a pretty girl who's smart.

I have loved the name Olivia since I was a little girl. It was never very popular and now all of a sudden it's the hot name! I am sad because I liked it for its beauty and originality.

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We named our first daughter Olivia Renee Eleanor. Olivia was chosen not only because we love the sound of it but also because her Daddy has always wanted his first daughter to be an Olivia since he was a little boy. We chose two middle names to honor myself (her mom) and her grandma. We love this name and it fits her perfectly! :-)

I knew an Olivia and she is insane. Like clinically insane. She has problems.

Nicknames for Olivia: | Edit

Lily, Livia, Libby, Liddy,Vivia, Viv, Vee,Liwy, Liv/Livvy/Livy/Livi Lulu, Olive,Lia, Via Ollie, Livylu, Liv.

Meanings and history of the name Olivia: | Edit

I have discovered from research that Olivia means "elf army". Olivia is also known to mean "bringer of peace".

Meaning "The Olive Tree." Extends help, like a branch.

Saint Olivia was the beautiful daughter of a noble Sicilian family. She lived in the 9th century. When she was 13 years old she was kidnapped from her home in Sicily by raiding Muslims and taken as a slave to Tunis. Impressed by her virtue and beauty her abductors permitted her to live as a hermitess in a cave.

However, after she begun to perform miracle cures on the local sick, many Muslims converted to Christianity. Consequently she was imprisoned and tortured. She was sentenced to be burnt to death, but the flames would not touch her. She was then decapitated her. Her feast day 10 June.

The entire story of the meaning of Olivia was recently discussed in this blog post (scroll down to Comment #20): http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2011/9/overheard-in-nameland

Famous real-life people named Olivia: | Edit

Olivia Harrison, wife of the late George Harrison
Olivia de Havilland, actress (Gone With the Wind)
Olivia Hussey, actress (Romeo and Juliet)
Olivia Newton-John, actress (Grease, Xanadu)and singer
Olivia Lufkin, Japanese-American singer
Olivia Wilde, actress (House)
Olivia Munn, television actress

Olivia in song, story & screen: | Edit

Olivia Benson, character on TV series "Law and Order: SVU"
Olivia Burke, character on TV series "Gossip Girl"
Olivia Dunham, character on TV series "Fringe"
Olivia Kendall, character on TV series "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s-90s
Olivia Walton, character on TV series "The Waltons" in the 1970s
Olivia King Dale, character on TV series "Road to Avonlea" in the 1990s

"Olivia" picture books by Ian Falconer about a creative young pig
Olivia is the beautiful Countess in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"
Olivia was Gordon's younger sister on Sesame Street in the '70s and '80s
Olivia is a semi-main character in the movie The Great Mouse Detective
"Olivia", song by Green Day