Oliver
Boy name · #3 in 2025 · Uniqueness 30/100
Oliver is currently the #3 boy name in the United States — 14,939 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #19, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 120 boys born in 2025 was named Oliver.
The 145-year story
Oliver first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 234 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 15,396 babies and a rank of #3. 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.
Babies named Oliver per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Oliver against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Oliver in class?
Oliver scores 30 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Oliver is most common
Geography matters for names, and Oliver is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Olivers were CA (1,456), TX (1,361), FL (831), NY (703), OH (653). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Oliver
Statistically, parents drawn to Oliver tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Theodore, Henry, River, Mateo, and Denver.
TheodoreHenryRiverMateoDenverAsherNoahLiam
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Oliver | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14,939 | #3 |
| 2024 | 15,396 | #3 |
| 2023 | 14,792 | #3 |
| 2022 | 15,176 | #3 |
| 2021 | 14,713 | #3 |
| 2020 | 14,277 | #3 |
| 2019 | 13,967 | #3 |
| 2018 | 13,500 | #5 |
| 2017 | 13,224 | #10 |
| 2016 | 13,066 | #12 |
| 2015 | 11,670 | #19 |
| 2014 | 9,453 | #32 |
| 2013 | 7,276 | #52 |
| 2012 | 5,924 | #73 |
| 2011 | 5,414 | #78 |
| 2010 | 4,666 | #88 |
| 2009 | 4,287 | #98 |
| 2008 | 3,604 | #118 |
| 2007 | 2,910 | #140 |
| 2006 | 2,352 | #173 |
| 2005 | 1,794 | #209 |
| 2004 | 1,491 | #228 |
| 2003 | 1,375 | #245 |
| 2002 | 1,166 | #268 |
| 2001 | 978 | #299 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Oliver a popular boy name?
Oliver ranked #3 among boys in 2025 with 14,939 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #19.
When was the name Oliver most popular?
Oliver peaked in 2024, when 15,396 American boys received the name (ranked #3 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Oliver?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 120 newborn American boys was named Oliver. It scores 30/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.