Ollivander
A plant name of Latin origin meaning "olive tree branch".
Name Census estimates that about 309 living Americans carry the first name Ollivander. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ollivander today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ollivander births was 2022 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ollivander. 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
309
~ 1 in 1,109,237 Americans
Peak year
2022
55 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,946
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Ollivander: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ollivander from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 194 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ollivander 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 Ollivander during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ollivanders live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Ohio, Texas recorded the most babies named Ollivander, while Texas, Ohio, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ollivander
Ollivander is a unique name with an intriguing history that can be traced back to the ancient Germanic tribes. Its origins are believed to lie in the Old Norse language, where it was derived from the words "oliv" and "vandr," meaning "olive tree" and "wand" or "staff" respectively.
During the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries, the name Ollivander was likely associated with individuals who crafted wands or staffs from olive wood. These wands held significant cultural and spiritual significance for the Norse people, often used in rituals, divination, and as symbols of authority.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Ollivander can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical tales and narratives from the 13th century. One notable figure bearing this name was Ollivander Thorvaldsson, a renowned wand-maker from the late 10th century who was said to have crafted exceptional wands imbued with powerful magic.
Another prominent figure in history associated with the name Ollivander was Ollivander the Wise, a 12th-century Norse scholar and philosopher known for his deep understanding of the natural world and the mystical properties of plants and trees.
In the 14th century, a skilled woodcarver named Ollivander Bjornsson gained recognition for his intricate carvings adorning churches and monasteries throughout Scandinavia. His works were celebrated for their exquisite detail and the incorporation of Norse mythology and symbolism.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian artist and inventor named Ollivander Falconi (1460-1534) made significant contributions to the study of optics and the development of early telescopes. His innovative designs and experiments with lenses and mirrors paved the way for future advancements in the field of astronomy.
In the 18th century, a Swedish botanist and explorer named Ollivander Lindgren (1722-1787) embarked on expeditions to the far corners of the world, documenting and cataloging various plant species, including the olive tree. His extensive research and detailed illustrations contributed greatly to the field of botany.
People
Ollivander + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ollivander 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
Ollivander: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ollivander?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 309 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ollivander 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 1,109,237 US residents.
Is Ollivander a common name?
We classify Ollivander as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 311 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ollivander most popular?
The single biggest year for Ollivander was 2022, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ollivander is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ollivander in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ollivander a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ollivander in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Ollivander still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ollivander in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ollivander can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ollivander?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.