Olive
Girl name · #197 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Olive? In official American birth records, Olive has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Olive ranks #197 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,597 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #264, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,127 girls born in 2025 was named Olive.
Babies named Olive per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Olive first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 224 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 1,836 babies and a rank of #158. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Olive against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Olive in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Olive is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Olive is most common
Geography matters for names, and Olive is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Olive is most common in ME (3.9 per 1,000), ND (3.7 per 1,000), UT (3.2 per 1,000), ID (2.2 per 1,000), CO (2.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Olive is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Olive
Statistically, parents drawn to Olive tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Evie, Blake, Esme, Sloane, and Maisie.
EvieBlakeEsmeSloaneMaisieRiverJourneeCharlie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Olive | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,597 | #197 |
| 2024 | 1,789 | #170 |
| 2023 | 1,651 | #180 |
| 2022 | 1,836 | #158 |
| 2021 | 1,636 | #182 |
| 2020 | 1,491 | #195 |
| 2019 | 1,435 | #213 |
| 2018 | 1,232 | #268 |
| 2017 | 1,253 | #256 |
| 2016 | 1,162 | #272 |
| 2015 | 1,212 | #264 |
| 2014 | 1,152 | #281 |
| 2013 | 1,097 | #291 |
| 2012 | 860 | #363 |
| 2011 | 763 | #415 |
| 2010 | 541 | #541 |
| 2009 | 512 | #588 |
| 2008 | 358 | #805 |
| 2007 | 271 | #988 |
| 2006 | 116 | #1788 |
| 2005 | 88 | #2106 |
| 2004 | 51 | #3033 |
| 2003 | 51 | #2956 |
| 2002 | 43 | #3241 |
| 2001 | 37 | #3549 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Olive?
In official American birth records, the name Olive first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 224 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Olive a popular girl name?
Olive ranked #197 among girls in 2025 with 1,597 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #264.
When was the name Olive most popular?
Olive peaked in 2022, when 1,836 American girls received the name (ranked #158 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Olive?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,127 newborn American girls was named Olive. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.