NameCensus.

UK surname

Olliver

Derived from the Norman French personal name "Olivier", itself from the Latin "Olivarius" meaning "olive orchard worker".

In the 1881 census there were 609 people recorded with the Olliver surname, ranking it #5,757 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 461, ranked #10,625, down from #5,757 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes and Glossop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Worthing and Lewes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Olliver is 610 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.3%.

1881 census count

609

Ranked #5,757

Modern count

461

2016, ranked #10,625

Peak year

1901

610 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Olliver had 609 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,757 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016, ranked #10,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 610 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Olliver surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Olliver surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Olliver 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 544 #4,643
1861 historical 505 #5,180
1881 historical 609 #5,757
1891 historical 572 #6,649
1901 historical 610 #6,981
1911 historical 466 #8,281
1997 modern 485 #9,512
1998 modern 497 #9,638
1999 modern 507 #9,555
2000 modern 494 #9,717
2001 modern 487 #9,656
2002 modern 499 #9,648
2003 modern 481 #9,770
2004 modern 481 #9,779
2005 modern 476 #9,783
2006 modern 480 #9,772
2007 modern 465 #10,096
2008 modern 473 #10,056
2009 modern 484 #10,101
2010 modern 494 #10,144
2011 modern 484 #10,194
2012 modern 467 #10,384
2013 modern 475 #10,401
2014 modern 470 #10,557
2015 modern 468 #10,518
2016 modern 461 #10,625

Geography

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Where Ollivers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes, Glossop and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Worthing and Lewes. 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 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Glossop Derbyshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Worthing 008 Worthing
2 Worthing 005 Worthing
3 Worthing 003 Worthing
4 Lewes 003 Lewes
5 Worthing 006 Worthing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Olliver

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Olliver

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Olliver, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Olliver surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Olliver household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Olliver is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Olliver is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Olliver falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Olliver 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 Olliver, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Olliver

The surname Olliver originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old French name "Olivier," which itself comes from the Latin name "Olivarius," meaning "olive tree keeper" or "olive grower." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been involved in the cultivation or trade of olives.

The Olliver surname can be traced back to the 12th century, with records showing individuals bearing the name in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1202, where a certain William Ollyver is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a John Olyver is listed. This spelling variation, "Olyver," was quite common in medieval records and highlights the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era. Other early spellings included Ollyver, Ollyvere, and Olivere.

The Olliver surname has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Richard Olliver, a 16th-century English priest and theologian who served as a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. Another was John Olliver (c. 1564-1619), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Lewes from 1614 until his death.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with figures like Samuel Olliver (1638-1702), an English writer and clergyman who authored several religious works. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Olliver (1619-1688), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton during the reign of Charles II.

The 18th century saw the rise of Jonathan Olliver (1744-1810), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. Additionally, there was William Olliver (1758-1814), an English artist and engraver renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings.

While the surname Olliver is not as common today as some other English surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, politicians, artists, and military figures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Olliver families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Olliver 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. Sussex leads with 145 Ollivers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.27x.

County Total Index
Sussex 145 14.27x
Middlesex 85 1.41x
Cornwall 36 5.27x
Lancashire 36 0.50x
Kent 27 1.31x
Staffordshire 24 1.18x
Surrey 23 0.78x
Yorkshire 20 0.33x
Durham 19 1.06x
Warwickshire 16 1.05x
Leicestershire 15 2.24x
Montgomeryshire 13 9.41x
Channel Islands 12 6.72x
Buckinghamshire 11 3.02x
Cheshire 11 0.83x
Herefordshire 11 4.45x
Essex 10 0.84x
Renfrewshire 10 2.14x
Worcestershire 10 1.27x
Cambridgeshire 9 2.36x
Hampshire 9 0.73x
Devon 8 0.64x
Glamorgan 8 0.76x
Lanarkshire 8 0.41x
Northumberland 6 0.67x
Angus 5 0.90x
Derbyshire 5 0.53x
Lincolnshire 5 0.52x
Ayrshire 4 0.89x
Shropshire 4 0.77x
Somerset 3 0.31x
Dorset 2 0.51x
Norfolk 2 0.22x
Berkshire 1 0.22x
Denbighshire 1 0.44x
Gloucestershire 1 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 1.15x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 57 Ollivers recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.80x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 57 27.80x
Littlehampton 18 221.95x
Broadwater 17 72.93x
St Cleer 14 236.49x
St Marylebone London 14 4.35x
Framwellgate 12 112.89x
St Pancras London 12 2.47x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 5.56x
St Neot 11 408.92x
Lambeth 10 1.90x
St Peter Port 10 30.26x
Goring 9 825.69x
Ibstock 9 185.19x
Romford 9 47.85x
Wycombe 9 33.12x
Heene 8 457.14x
Newtown 8 90.60x
St Andrewthe Great 8 161.94x
St George In East 8 19.51x
Bishops Frome 7 466.67x
Preston 7 39.44x
St Luke London 7 7.24x
Abbey 6 8.42x
Aberdare 6 8.33x
Bishopwearmouth 6 3.90x
Deptford St Paul 6 3.78x
Hackney London 6 1.78x
New Monkland 6 10.41x
Portsea 6 2.48x
St Blazey 6 100.17x
Warwick St Mary 6 45.45x
Deptford St Nicholas 5 30.64x
Kensington London 5 1.49x
Lewes St John Southover 5 73.21x
Liff Benvie 5 5.90x
Llanllwchaiarn 5 83.61x
Loughborough 5 16.49x
Margate St John Baptist 5 13.28x
Rocester 5 198.41x
Aston 4 0.96x
Bodenham 4 219.78x
Brightside Bierlow 4 3.41x
Cathcart 4 15.82x
Edgbaston 4 8.49x
Fulham London 4 4.58x
Girvan 4 35.30x
Holy Trinity 4 2.78x
Horton In Bradford 4 4.29x
Kidderminster Foreign 4 35.94x
Liverpool 4 0.92x
Middlesbrough 4 5.14x
Mile End Old Town 4 4.20x
Monks Coppenhall 4 7.97x
Newington 4 1.80x
Oswestry Town 4 23.98x
Ribbesford 4 61.07x
Salford 4 1.90x
South Blyth Newsham 4 227.27x
St Bartholomew Less 4 129.03x
Tavistock 4 27.99x
Tottenham 4 4.17x
Wadhurst 4 59.97x
Westminster St John 4 5.45x
Bromley London 3 2.26x
Clayton Le Moors 3 21.61x
Great Chart 3 194.81x
Helpringham 3 154.64x
Highweek 3 67.11x
Hollingworth 3 54.64x
Hove 3 6.73x
Hulme 3 2.01x
Manchester 3 0.93x
Oldham 3 1.30x
Penge 3 7.79x
Rotherhithe 3 4.03x
Shoreditch London 3 1.15x
Sullington 3 697.67x
Wardleworth 3 7.34x
Widnes 3 5.81x
Beckenham 2 7.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 41
Elizabeth 19
Jane 17
Sarah 14
Ellen 13
Emma 12
Ann 10
Harriett 8
Louisa 8
Emily 7
Eliza 6
Margaret 6
Alice 5
Annie 5
Caroline 5
Hannah 5
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Fanny 4
Harriet 4
Agnes 3
Edith 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Lillian 3
Martha 3
Rose 3
Susan 3
Adelaide 2
Constance 2
Eda 2
Frances 2
Henrietta 2
Hester 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Melanie 2
Melinda 2
Minnie 2
Rhoda 2
Sophia 2
Amy 1
Bridget 1
Catharine 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth 1
Ida 1
Wilhmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 44
John 27
George 23
Henry 19
James 18
Thomas 17
Charles 11
Joseph 11
Edward 8
Robert 8
Arthur 7
Frederick 7
Alfred 6
Richard 6
David 4
Timothy 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Job 3
Walter 3
Allen 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Eustace 2
Francis 2
Nicholas 2
Samuel 2
Willm. 2
Benjamen 1
Bushby 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Hy. 1
Ephraim 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
H.L. 1
Harvey 1
Jeffrey 1
Jim 1
Jonathan 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Llewelyn 1
Martha 1
Mathias 1
Owen 1
Rupert 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Olliver surname: questions and answers

How common was the Olliver surname in 1881?

In 1881, 609 people were recorded with the Olliver surname. That placed it at #5,757 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Olliver surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016. That gives Olliver a modern rank of #10,625.

What does the Olliver surname mean?

Derived from the Norman French personal name "Olivier", itself from the Latin "Olivarius" meaning "olive orchard worker".

What does the Olliver map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Olliver 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.