 Ancient Roman woman wearing a garland of olives in a fresco from Herculaneum. | |
| Gender | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | English |
| Meaning | olive tree |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Oliver, Olivia |
Olive is a feminine given name of English origin meaning olive tree . [1] The name is associated with peace because of the symbolism of the olive branch. An olive wreath has traditionally been worn by champions as a symbol of victory. [2] It has also been seen as a symbol of fruitfulness. [3]
Olive came into fashion in English-speaking countries in the 1800s along with other tree, plant and flower names for girls [3] and was a more popular name during that era than the related Olivia, which has been among the most popular names for girls in recent years. Olive was among the top hundred names for girls in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s and remained among the top one thousand names through 1950. The name declined in popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century.
Its increase in usage in the early twenty-first century has coincided with the popularity of Olivia. It also increased in popularity after the release of the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine and the 2010 film Easy A , both of which featured a lead character named Olive. [4] In the film Easy A, Olive is said to be an anagram of the words “I love.” [5] Author Laura Wattenberg notes that the name is “aggressively contrarian” and atypical of the style of names that have been popular in recent years but its counterculture style might explain its increase in usage. [6]
Olive has again been among the top one thousand names for newborn American girls since 2007, among the top three hundred names for girls since 2012 and among the top two hundred most popular names for American girls since 2020.
Olive has been similarly popular in England and Wales, where it has been among the top five hundred names for girls since 2008 and was among the hundred most popular names for girls in 2020. [7] [8]
Bonnie is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie", or the French bonne (good). That is in turn derived from the Latin word "bonus" (good). The name can also be used as a pet form of Bonita.
Fiona is a feminine given name of Gaelic origin. The name is associated with the Gaelic traditions of Ireland and Scotland, but has also become popular in England. It can be considered either a Latinised form of the Gaelic word fionn, meaning "white", "fair", or an Anglicisation of the Irish name Fíona. The Scottish Gaelic feminine name Fionnghal is sometimes equated with Fiona. In ninth-century Welsh and Breton language 'Fion' referred to the foxglove species and is also a female given name as in Ffion Hague.
Aurora is a feminine given name, originating from the name of the ancient Roman goddess of dawn Aurora. Her tears were said to turn into the morning dew. Each morning she traveled in her chariot across the sky from east to west, proclaiming renewal with the rising of the sun. The Romans also associated the Northern Lights, or the Aurora borealis, with the goddess. Aurora is also traditionally the name of the princess in the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty and the many works of art it has inspired. The tale of a cursed princess who slept for one hundred years and was awakenened by the kiss of a prince might be considered a modern retelling of the ancient story of Aurora the dawn goddess, whose myths also include stories of a long sleep and an awakening at dawn.
Lily is a feminine given name usually derived from lily, the flower. The name became particularly popular along with other flower names for girls during the 1800s and early 1900s. The lily also has associations with and has been symbolic of innocence and purity in Christian art. Names beginning with or containing the letter L have also been particularly fashionable for girls. It is also occasionally used as a diminutive for other names such as Elizabeth.
Poppy is a feminine given name derived from the name of the flower poppy, itself derived from the Old English popæg and referring to various species of Papaver. The name has been among the one hundred most popular names for girls in England and Wales since 1996 and among the top twenty-five names for girls since 2009. It has also recently risen in popularity in other countries in the English-speaking world, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. The popularity of the name coincides with increased use for girls of other flower names and names inspired by the natural world. Increased awareness of the name has also been attributed to the naming of the children of some celebrities.
India is a feminine given name derived from the name of the country India, which itself takes its name from the Indus River. The name was used for India Wilkes, a character in the novel and film Gone with the Wind. Its use for girls in England began during the British rule in India during the 19th century. It has been used for daughters of aristocratic families in England that had ties to Colonial India, such as India Hicks. It has had an exotic image in the Anglosphere and also is similar in sound to other fashionable names such as Olivia and Sophia. In more recent years, some critics have viewed use of the name for non-Indian girls as problematic because they say it evokes the British Raj and colonialism. Although India is a feminine given name in the world, it is not a popular given name in India.
Pearl is a primarily feminine given name derived from the English word pearl, a hard, roundish object produced within the soft tissue of a living, shelled mollusk. Pearls are commonly used in jewelry-making. The pearl is the birthstone for the month of June. Pearls have been associated with innocence and modesty. Because it comes from the sea, it also has associations with the moon and with water. Pearls are also traditionally considered appropriate jewelry for debutantes and brides.
Jade is a given name derived from the ornamental stone jade, which is used in artwork and in jewellery-making. The name is derived from the Spanish piedra de la ijada, which means "stone of the bowels". There was a belief that when jade was placed on the stomach, it could cure colic in babies. The stone is greatly valued in Asian countries. Confucius believed it had properties encouraging purity, bravery, and honesty. Chinese emperors were buried in suits made of the stone because they believed it would make them live on forever.
Flora is a feminine given name of Latin origin meaning flower, ultimately derived from the Latin word flos, which had the genitive florus. Flora was a fertility goddess of flowers and springtime in Ancient Rome.
Olivia is a feminine given name in the English language. It is derived from Latin oliva, olive. Both Oliva and Olivia were Latinate forms in use in English-speaking countries as early as the 13th century. Olive was in common use as a vernacular form. Though not invented by William Shakespeare, the name was popularized by a character in the Twelfth Night.
Goldie is a nickname or given name used in reference to an informal English diminutive word for gold or an English version of the Yiddish name Golda or Golde, also meaning gold. It was often used as a pet name for a girl with blonde hair. It is also used as a nickname for formal names such as Marigold. It has a “vintage vibe” for some parents who have considered it. Other commentators note that the name has risen in use for girls along with other names of a similar style that all exude cuteness and promote enjoyment, perhaps in reaction to serious times. The English expression good as gold is often used to describe people who act virtuously and, in the case of children, are well-behaved.
The United States has very few laws governing given names. This freedom has given rise to a wide variety of names and naming trends. Naming traditions play a role in the cohesion and communication within American cultures. Cultural diversity in the U.S. has led to great variations in names and naming traditions and names have been used to express creativity, personality, cultural identity, and values.
Daphne is a feminine given name of Greek origin meaning laurel. It originates from Greek mythology, where Daphne was a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. The name came into popular use in the Anglosphere in the late 1800s along with other flower, tree, and plant names that were in vogue at the time. In recent years, the name has increased in popularity due to a character on the streaming television series Bridgerton.
Ophelia is a feminine given name, probably derived from Ancient Greek ὠφέλεια.
Melody is a modern English feminine given name taken from the vocabulary word melody, which is ultimately derived from the Greek μελῳδία, melōidía, "singing, chanting").
Phyllis or Phillis is a feminine given name of Greek origin meaning foliage. Phyllis is a minor figure in Greek mythology who killed herself in despair when Demophon of Athens did not return to her and who was transformed into an almond tree by the gods. Phillida, Phyllicia, and Phyllida are all variants of the name.
Serenity is a modern English name taken from the word “serenity” meaning “peaceful”.
Harmony is a modern English name taken from the vocabulary word and from the musical term harmony which is ultimately derived from the Greek word harmonia. Harmonia was the Greek goddess of harmony and concord. It is also an English surname.
Ember is a modern English name taken from the vocabulary word meaning “lump of hot coal.”
Lyra is a feminine given name of Greek and Latin origin meaning lyre. It is usually given in reference to the constellation and the Greek myth that inspired its naming. The name has associations with music and harmony and the night sky. The name has recently increased in usage due to a character in His Dark Materials, a book trilogy by Philip Pullman, and the television show and film adapted from the books.