NameCensus.

UK surname

Oliver

A surname derived from the Old French personal name "Olivier," meaning "olive tree," or from the Norse "Áleifr," meaning "ancestor's descendant."

In the 1881 census there were 21,337 people recorded with the Oliver surname, ranking it #164 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 31,233, ranked #173, down from #164 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Hawick and Wilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, East Lindsey and West Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oliver is 31,746 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.4%.

1881 census count

21,337

Ranked #164

Modern count

31,233

2016, ranked #173

Peak year

2010

31,746 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oliver had 21,337 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #164 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 31,233 in 2016, ranked #173.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27,249 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Oliver surname distribution map

The map shows where the Oliver surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Oliver surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oliver over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 14,286 #161
1861 historical 14,543 #163
1881 historical 21,337 #164
1891 historical 23,237 #157
1901 historical 26,667 #162
1911 historical 27,249 #146
1997 modern 30,237 #170
1998 modern 31,561 #172
1999 modern 31,621 #172
2000 modern 31,668 #171
2001 modern 30,961 #172
2002 modern 31,593 #173
2003 modern 30,744 #173
2004 modern 30,491 #173
2005 modern 29,976 #174
2006 modern 30,000 #175
2007 modern 30,139 #175
2008 modern 30,290 #175
2009 modern 30,969 #176
2010 modern 31,746 #174
2011 modern 31,274 #174
2012 modern 30,779 #174
2013 modern 31,530 #174
2014 modern 31,719 #173
2015 modern 31,374 #173
2016 modern 31,233 #173

Geography

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Where Olivers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Hawick and Wilton and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, East Lindsey and West Oxfordshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 019 Northumberland
3 East Lindsey 009 East Lindsey
4 West Oxfordshire 004 West Oxfordshire
5 Northumberland 020 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oliver

These lists show first names that appear often with the Oliver surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oliver

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oliver, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Oliver surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Oliver household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oliver is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Oliver is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oliver falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Oliver is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Oliver, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Oliver

The surname OLIVER has its origins in England and is derived from the medieval Norman French name Olivier. This name is believed to have originated from the Old Germanic name Oliverius, which was a compound name formed from the elements "olf" meaning "ancestor's descendant" and "heri" meaning "army" or "warrior." The name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded use of the surname OLIVER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as Olivere and is found in various counties in England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Oxfordshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname OLIVER was also associated with several notable figures. One such figure was Oliver de Caux, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the invasion of England in 1066. Another was Oliver of Padua, an English scholar and theologian who lived in the 13th century and is known for his work on the Franciscan Order.

In later centuries, the surname OLIVER continued to be found throughout England and other parts of the British Isles. One notable bearer of the name was Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), the English military and political leader who served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 until his death.

Another prominent figure with the surname OLIVER was Isaac Oliver (c. 1565-1617), an English miniature painter who was highly regarded for his portrait miniatures during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname OLIVER was also associated with several literary figures. One such figure was Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774), an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet best known for his works "The Vicar of Wakefield" and "She Stoops to Conquer."

Additionally, the name OLIVER can be found in various place names throughout England, such as Oliver's Mount in Yorkshire, which was named after a person with the surname OLIVER who owned land in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oliver families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oliver surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 2,032 Olivers recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.98x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,032 0.98x
Durham 1,708 2.75x
Yorkshire 1,674 0.81x
Northumberland 1,206 3.89x
Lancashire 1,160 0.47x
Surrey 1,071 1.05x
Cornwall 879 3.73x
Kent 831 1.17x
Hampshire 783 1.83x
Staffordshire 640 0.91x
Roxburghshire 606 16.05x
Essex 540 1.31x
Sussex 506 1.44x
Devon 502 1.16x
Shropshire 436 2.42x
Worcestershire 422 1.55x
Lincolnshire 398 1.19x
Warwickshire 374 0.71x
Cheshire 344 0.75x
Derbyshire 288 0.88x
Midlothian 286 1.02x
Lanarkshire 269 0.40x
Herefordshire 255 2.98x
Dorset 227 1.66x
Glamorgan 202 0.56x
Cambridgeshire 192 1.45x
Northamptonshire 190 0.97x
Oxfordshire 186 1.45x
Nottinghamshire 181 0.64x
Leicestershire 177 0.77x
Cardiganshire 161 3.17x
Gloucestershire 161 0.39x
Montgomeryshire 160 3.35x
Norfolk 158 0.49x
Monmouthshire 135 0.90x
Selkirkshire 127 6.74x
Hertfordshire 126 0.88x
Somerset 126 0.38x
Cumberland 111 0.62x
Bedfordshire 109 1.01x
Berkshire 108 0.69x
Berwickshire 100 3.96x
Ayrshire 99 0.63x
Wiltshire 77 0.42x
Suffolk 71 0.28x
Carmarthenshire 62 0.71x
Dumfriesshire 61 1.33x
Renfrewshire 59 0.37x
Dunbartonshire 54 0.96x
West Lothian 51 1.63x
Caernarfonshire 47 0.56x
Aberdeenshire 45 0.23x
East Lothian 41 1.49x
Pembrokeshire 38 0.57x
Angus 36 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 34 0.27x
Flintshire 34 0.61x
Denbighshire 33 0.42x
Perthshire 33 0.35x
Channel Islands 30 0.49x
Peeblesshire 29 2.96x
Kirkcudbrightshire 27 0.90x
Huntingdonshire 25 0.60x
Royal Navy 25 1.01x
Clackmannanshire 21 1.22x
Caithness 19 0.67x
Westmorland 19 0.41x
Ross-shire 17 0.30x
Stirlingshire 16 0.21x
Anglesey 15 0.41x
Brecknockshire 15 0.36x
Argyllshire 11 0.19x
Radnorshire 11 0.65x
Inverness-shire 10 0.16x
Rutland 10 0.65x
Fife 8 0.06x
Sutherland 8 0.50x
Isle of Man 7 0.18x
Orkney 4 0.17x
Wigtownshire 4 0.14x
Buteshire 3 0.24x
Banffshire 2 0.05x
Merionethshire 2 0.05x
Morayshire 2 0.06x
Kincardineshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 250 Olivers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.24x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 250 1.24x
Gateshead 180 3.88x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 171 1.52x
Lambeth 157 0.86x
Westoe 157 4.47x
Bishopwearmouth 149 2.80x
Hawick 149 17.64x
St Marylebone London 143 1.29x
Jedburgh 142 38.38x
Hackney London 140 1.20x
St Pancras London 119 0.71x
Portsea 117 1.40x
Aston 116 0.80x
Bermondsey 113 1.82x
Shoreditch London 113 1.25x
Kensington London 106 0.91x
Camberwell 105 0.79x
Newington 99 1.29x
Liverpool 95 0.63x
Elswick 93 3.76x
Stoke Upon Trent 93 1.25x
West Ham 91 1.00x
Bedlington 90 8.69x
Darlington 88 3.68x
Birmingham 86 0.49x
Hammersmith London 84 1.64x
Bethnal Green London 82 0.91x
Leeds 81 0.69x
Wilton 81 19.56x
Mile End Old Town 80 2.43x
Millbrook 79 7.34x
Holy Trinity 78 1.57x
Croydon 77 1.37x
Kingswinford 77 3.01x
Manchester 75 0.67x
Barony 74 0.43x
Westgate 71 3.70x
Stonesfield 70 167.46x
Clerkenwell London 68 1.38x
Macclesfield 68 3.33x
Paddington London 66 0.86x
Southampton St Mary 66 2.46x
Bromley London 65 1.42x
West Bromwich 65 1.61x
Chelsea London 62 0.99x
Glasgow 62 0.52x
Maidstone 62 2.93x
Govan 61 0.37x
West Derby 59 0.82x
Sculcoates 58 1.77x
Sheffield 57 0.87x
Wendron 57 17.40x
Chorlton On Medlock 56 1.43x
Stoke Damerel 56 1.84x
Battersea 55 0.72x
Ecclesall Bierlow 55 1.31x
Newcastle On Tyne St 55 3.42x
St Luke London 55 1.65x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 54 2.92x
Deptford St Paul 53 0.97x
Plymouth St Andrew 53 1.59x
Cavers 52 55.10x
Salford 52 0.71x
Toxteth Park 51 0.61x
Dudley 50 1.51x
Oldham 50 0.63x
Stockton On Tees 50 1.67x
Tipton 50 2.32x
Harborne 48 2.13x
Melrose 48 10.12x
Lansallos 45 87.98x
Longbenton 45 3.43x
Phillack 44 14.45x
Stanhope 44 6.87x
Hartlepool 43 4.88x
Hexham 43 8.96x
Tormoham 43 2.34x
Everton 41 0.52x
Stranton 41 1.96x
Trevethin 41 2.88x
Bocking 40 16.17x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 40 1.49x
Madeley 40 6.06x
Swinton In Rotherham 40 7.32x
Brighton 39 0.55x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Oliver surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1,367
Elizabeth 836
Sarah 607
Jane 443
Ann 370
Annie 299
Emma 293
Ellen 292
Eliza 271
Alice 266
Margaret 247
Hannah 221
Emily 212
Martha 134
Louisa 131
Harriet 124
Isabella 113
Fanny 112
Maria 111
Ada 107
Edith 96
Charlotte 95
Caroline 94
Kate 94
Catherine 93
Florence 92
Lucy 73
Anne 72
Agnes 69
Susan 68
Frances 66
Harriett 65
Jessie 55
Clara 53
Amelia 52
Rose 51
Rebecca 49
Esther 48
Eleanor 46
Ethel 45
Sophia 45
Amy 42
Julia 41
Susannah 41
Minnie 39
Matilda 38
Elizth. 37
Grace 34
Rachel 33
Laura 26

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Oliver surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 1,209
John 1,189
Thomas 731
George 704
James 567
Henry 364
Joseph 356
Charles 347
Robert 283
Richard 234
Edward 230
Alfred 176
Samuel 160
Arthur 157
Frederick 155
Walter 131
Albert 112
David 112
Harry 96
Frank 78
Francis 70
Edwin 69
Herbert 64
Wm. 62
Ernest 55
Thos. 54
Benjamin 50
Andrew 45
Stephen 40
Matthew 35
Fred 32
Percy 30
Geo. 29
Daniel 26
Ralph 25
Jesse 23
Fredk. 21
Tom 21
Fredrick 20
Sidney 20
Isaac 19
Alexander 17
Hugh 17
Jas. 17
Nicholas 16
Edmund 15
Mark 15
Josiah 14
Sydney 14
Willm. 14

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Oliver households.

FAQ

Oliver surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oliver surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21,337 people were recorded with the Oliver surname. That placed it at #164 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oliver surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 31,233 in 2016. That gives Oliver a modern rank of #173.

What does the Oliver surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French personal name "Olivier," meaning "olive tree," or from the Norse "Áleifr," meaning "ancestor's descendant."

What does the Oliver map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Oliver bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.