Oliviah
A feminine name derived from the French plant name "olive".
Name Census estimates that about 700 living Americans carry the first name Oliviah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Oliviah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oliviah births was 2011 (53 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oliviah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
700
~ 1 in 489,649 Americans
Peak year
2011
53 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,277
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Oliviah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oliviah from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 384 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oliviah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Oliviah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oliviahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Oliviah, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oliviah
The name Oliviah is a feminine given name of English origin. It is a variant spelling of the name Olivia, which is derived from the Latin word "oliva," meaning "olive." The olive tree was a symbol of peace and fruitfulness in ancient Rome, and the name Olivia was first used by the Romans.
In the Middle Ages, the name Olivia became popular in various European countries, including England, France, and Italy. It was often associated with the olive tree and its symbolic meanings of peace, fertility, and prosperity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oliviah can be found in the records of the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name was spelled "Oliuia" at the time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Oliviah or its variants. One of the most famous was Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020), a British-American actress who won two Academy Awards for her performances in the films "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress."
Another notable Oliviah was Olivia Clemens (1845-1890), the wife of the famous American writer Mark Twain. She was known for her intelligence and strong character, and her influence on Twain's writing is often recognized.
In the literary world, Olivia was the name of a character in William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night," first performed in 1602. The character was a wealthy countess who became the object of affection for several characters in the play.
In the religious realm, Saint Olivia was a virgin martyr who lived in the 5th century. She was known for her devotion to Christianity and her unwavering faith, even in the face of persecution.
Lastly, Olivia Tonge (1619-1703) was an English businesswoman and philanthropist who is credited with establishing the first orphanage in London in the late 17th century.
While these are just a few examples, the name Oliviah and its variants have been borne by many notable individuals throughout history, reflecting its long-standing popularity and significance across various cultures and time periods.
People
Oliviah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oliviah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Oliviah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oliviah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 700 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oliviah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 489,649 US residents.
Is Oliviah a common name?
We classify Oliviah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 707 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oliviah most popular?
The single biggest year for Oliviah was 2011, when 53 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oliviah is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oliviah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oliviah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.