Oleander first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Oleander has been for the last 3 years (from 2021 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Oleander

A flower name derived from the oleander plant, symbolizing beauty and resilience.

Popularity of Oleander by gender

Based on the last 3 years of data, Oleander is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 83% of people named Oleander being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 14 male babies and 8 female babies born with the name Oleander.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 14 8
2022 14 0
2021 11 0

The history of the first name Oleander

The name Oleander is derived from the Greek word "lēdanon," which means "rose laurel" or "oleander." The oleander plant is an evergreen shrub known for its beautiful, fragrant flowers and its toxicity. The name likely originated in ancient Greece, where the oleander plant was revered and associated with various myths and legends.

Oleander was not a common name in ancient times, but it did appear in some historical records. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name was in the 5th century AD, when a Greek scholar named Oleander lived and worked in Alexandria, Egypt. He was known for his contributions to the field of astronomy and mathematics.

In the Middle Ages, the name Oleander was occasionally used by individuals in Europe, particularly in regions with strong Greek cultural influences. For example, in the 12th century, there was a Byzantine monk named Oleander who lived in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey).

One of the most notable historical figures with the name Oleander was a Dutch botanist named Oleander Bakhuizen van den Brink, born in 1608. He was a renowned taxonomist and made significant contributions to the study of plants, particularly in the Netherlands.

In the 19th century, the name Oleander gained some popularity in literature and the arts. One notable bearer of the name was Oleander Hampden, an English poet and writer born in 1822. She was known for her romantic poetry and her advocacy for women's rights.

Another prominent individual with the name Oleander was Oleander Hubbard, an American architect and designer who lived from 1870 to 1945. He was renowned for his work in the Arts and Crafts movement and his contributions to the development of American residential architecture.

While the name Oleander has never been extremely common, it has been used throughout history in various cultural contexts, often associated with the oleander plant and its symbolic significance in art, literature, and mythology.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Oleander was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Oleander, please contact us.

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"Oleander first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 25, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/oleander-meaning-and-history/.

"Oleander first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/oleander-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 25 April, 2025

Oleander first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/oleander-meaning-and-history/.

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