I've been thinking about baby names and one that keeps knocking around in my head is Olivia - in the past I've not really cared for the name that much, but suddenly now I really, really like it! But then I noticed on one of those baby name websites it was listed as #4 in popularity. I only know one Olivia IRL, that I can think of. I certainly don't want to use a name that is so overused that every other person we meet has it. What do y'all think?
Is the name Olivia too popular?
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My daughter has 2 Olivia's in her class.
I think it is pretty popular, but if it isn't popular where you are, maybe it will be fine. I have come across a lot of children named Olivia, but it mostly seems to be online. Other than the 2 Olivias that are in my daughter's class, I don't know other children with the name.
My daughter has a popular name, no one in her circle of acquaintances has it and I like the name, so I don't care.
I think it is pretty popular, but if it isn't popular where you are, maybe it will be fine. I have come across a lot of children named Olivia, but it mostly seems to be online. Other than the 2 Olivias that are in my daughter's class, I don't know other children with the name.
My daughter has a popular name, no one in her circle of acquaintances has it and I like the name, so I don't care.
It's extremely popular. Here's the government list (Social Security) of how it has ranked for the past 15 years:
2004 4
2003 5
2002 10
2001 10
2000 16
1999 20
1998 21
1997 27
1996 34
1995 39
1994 50
1993 50
1992 58
1991 61
1990 72
You can see how it has climbed and is now at number 4!
2004 4
2003 5
2002 10
2001 10
2000 16
1999 20
1998 21
1997 27
1996 34
1995 39
1994 50
1993 50
1992 58
1991 61
1990 72
You can see how it has climbed and is now at number 4!
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We are in a mid-size city and Olivia is really popular.
A name popular in the UK but not so here is the name "Olive" - we've thought about that as a name, for something a little different.
A name popular in the UK but not so here is the name "Olive" - we've thought about that as a name, for something a little different.
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4,897 Posts
Yup, it's pretty popular, but if you feel strongly about it, then don't let its popularity deter you. Or use a variation -- "Olive," like the PP mentioned, or "Livia." Or just name her "Olivia" and then call her "Libby" for short. Or give her a really unusual middle name, and later on she can choose to be called by that, if she wants to stand apart in the sea of Olivias.
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HTH.
~Nick
HTH.
~Nick
Good luck.
Liv
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4,207 Posts
Yes. It's too popular. But use it if you want
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I resisted using Amelie because Emily and Emma are so popular. But I let daddy have his way. Heh.
We live in the DC area and I would say it's VERY popular here. I know at least 3 Olivias under the age of 5, and hear it all the time at the pool and grocery stores etc....
I say if you really like it though, go with it.
My DD's name is in the top 10 on the SS website and we still are happy we chose it. I 've met 2 other, maybe 3, kids with the same name as her and it dosen't bother me.
We chose a much less popular name for this next baby though......
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I say if you really like it though, go with it.
My DD's name is in the top 10 on the SS website and we still are happy we chose it. I 've met 2 other, maybe 3, kids with the same name as her and it dosen't bother me.
We chose a much less popular name for this next baby though......
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It seems to be up there. I know 3 in my town. Look on Social Security's website and they now have baby names popularity by state, maybe its not as popular in your state.
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i love this site -- http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager . you can graph the name's poularity over the last century. it's a really mezmerizing site. olivia is really on a steep steep upswing.
hth
hth
Well my daughter's name is Olivia and I love it. We chose the name 7 years ago when it wasn't popular at all and by the time we conceived her we couldn't imagine her being anything but Olivia. I do know a few little Olivia's in our area but its different than all those trendy names. Madison, Mackenzie, Kaitlyn, Haley - all of those will date your child to a specific decade. Olivia is timeless, a classic name.
For this baby we will probably be using Miriam or Bronwyn for a girl which of course are waaayyy less popular but they are still classic names IMO.
Edited to add - we did give Olivia two middle names so she could by a different name if she wanted (all our kids will have two middle names). She is Olivia Antonia Faith.
For this baby we will probably be using Miriam or Bronwyn for a girl which of course are waaayyy less popular but they are still classic names IMO.
Edited to add - we did give Olivia two middle names so she could by a different name if she wanted (all our kids will have two middle names). She is Olivia Antonia Faith.
Here's the SSA link to name popularity by state:
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/namesbystate.html
Olivia is #3 in NY, #24 in Texas, #26 in California...So it is popular everywhere, but it's a slightly variable popularity. I know plenty of people who thought a name was unpopular/uncommon because they didn't know any kids with it, only to be blindsided by its popularity for their own child. Kind of like when you leave an event early to avoid getting stuck in traffic and find out how many people had that exact same idea.
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That's why the Baby Name Voyager that was mentioned in a previous post is such a good site for those of us concerned with name popularity; if a name is on an obvious upward trend, it can set off alarm bells.
One thing you might want to do if you want a name that is not too popular but still obviously a "real" name (of course that term is relative) is to check out the SSA's website and see what the incredibly popular names were 40, 50, or 60 years ago. My second daughter's name was the #2 name of the 1950s, but was #422 last year and is on a steady downward trend. So I can be assured that there won't be several other Lindas in her classes, but at the same time it's an easily recognizable name. (Sort of like my own; I've never met a Sabra, but every single person I've ever met knows another one. :LOL)
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/namesbystate.html
Olivia is #3 in NY, #24 in Texas, #26 in California...So it is popular everywhere, but it's a slightly variable popularity. I know plenty of people who thought a name was unpopular/uncommon because they didn't know any kids with it, only to be blindsided by its popularity for their own child. Kind of like when you leave an event early to avoid getting stuck in traffic and find out how many people had that exact same idea.
One thing you might want to do if you want a name that is not too popular but still obviously a "real" name (of course that term is relative) is to check out the SSA's website and see what the incredibly popular names were 40, 50, or 60 years ago. My second daughter's name was the #2 name of the 1950s, but was #422 last year and is on a steady downward trend. So I can be assured that there won't be several other Lindas in her classes, but at the same time it's an easily recognizable name. (Sort of like my own; I've never met a Sabra, but every single person I've ever met knows another one. :LOL)
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wow! just went to baby name voyager for the first time today. Soooo cool!
It's too popular for me. Olivia is actually my maiden name (try getting called Kristin Jane Olivia Newton-John for all of middle school) so my dad would love me to name the baby Olivia, however it's just too far up there for me. It will be the baby's middle name if she is a girl, however.
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