Olivia

This name was used by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy Twelfth Night (1602), and in his time it was rare, perhaps derived from Oliva or Oliver, or directly from the Latin oliva meaning “olive.” In the play, Olivia is a noblewoman courted by Duke Orsino who instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario, actually Viola in disguise. The name has been used in the English-speaking world since the 18th century but became much more popular only in the late 20th century, possibly boosted in the 1970s by The Waltons or Olivia Newton-John and in 1989 by a character on The Cosby Show; it reached the top rank in England and Wales by 2008 and in the United States by 2019. A notable bearer was the British-American actress Olivia de Havilland (1916–2020).

Olivia's rise is a striking part of the modern US rankings. It rose from #16 in 2000 and entered its current top-10 run in 2001. It has held the #1 position for girls since 2019. Interestingly, its birth-count peak came earlier, in 2014, with 19,840 births.