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Nicknames for Oliver

Ollie, Oli, Levy, Olli, Olly, Olive

Meanings and history of the name Oliver

Oliver comes from the Norman French name Olivier, but the spelling was altered due to its resemblance to the Latin word "oliva" meaning "olive tree". The original, Olivier, is believed to either come from an old Germanic name (such as Alfher "elf army") or an Old Norse name, Áliefr (modern Olaf), meaning "ancestor's descendant."

The name became wellknown in Western Europe during middle ages due to the popular epic "The Song of Roland." Olivier was the friend and advisor of Roland, the epic's hero.

Oliver was common in England until the 17th century when it fell out of favor due to association with Oliver Cromwell.

Famous real-life people named Oliver

Oliver Stone - American film director
Oliver Hardy - American comic
Oliver Wendell Holmes - American physician and writer
Oliver Reed - English actor
Oliver Phelps - American Deputy Commissary during the Revolution
Oliver Phelps - English actor
Oliver Platt - American actor
Oliver Chris - English actor
Oliver Sykes - Bring Me the Horizon lead vocalist
Oliver Hudson- actor, son of Bill Hudson and Goldie Hawn. Was in the sitcom Rules of Engagement.
Oliver Cowdery - scribe and translator of the Book of Mormon
Oliver Riedel - German metal band Rammstein bassist
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - NHL Phoenix Coyotes defenseman
Oliver Savage (b. 2006), son of American actor, television director, and producer Fred Savage
Oliver Shane Hawkins (b. 2007), son of American musician Taylor Hawkins
Oliver Francis Followill (b. 2018), son of American rock drummer Nathan Followill, brother to Violet Marlowe

Oliver in song, story & screen

Oliver Wood, Harry Potter character- captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team at Hogwarts and the only real celebrity with this name
Oliver Queen, secret identity of Green Arrow in DC Comics and on Smallville
Oliver Twist, title character of Charles Dickens novel that was made into the musical and movie Oliver!
Oliver Barrett IV, male lead in "Love Story"
Cousin Oliver, from "The Brady Bunch"
Oliver, the redeemed villian of Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It
Oliver Hampton, character in American TV series 'How to Get Away with Murder'
Oliver and Company, Disney Animated movie (Oliver is the little orange tabby cat)
Oliver Oken, character in Disney's series "Hannah Montana"
There's an Oliver in several episodes of season one of The OC, played by Taylor Handley
Oliver "Ollie" Hackers, one of Spiggie Lomer's grade school crushes and listed on her "Men In My Life" list, in the comic blog The Greasers of Hazzick Flats http://www.thegreasersofhazzickflats.blogspot.com
Oliver from Call Me by Your Name