I am starting to really like [name]Oliver[/name], but I’m afraid it is becoming too popular for my taste. I see where it has been in the top 100 the last few years, and I also know it is a top name in the UK. I have friends and family that are elementary school teachers that say they never hear it. But wouldn’t it be a couple more years before these Olivers become school age? I don’t want to go with a name that is going to explode in popularity in the next couple of years. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.
Depends on where you live really,have you checked your state stats?
[name]Hi[/name], water buffalo! I’ve followed your other post and I’m interested to see what you choose. I really like [name]Oliver[/name].
To give you some perspective with the popularity angle - in 2010, [name]Oliver[/name] was ranked #88, and was given to 4,632 boys. Makes it seem like there are a TON of little Olivers out there, right? In fact, 4,632 isn’t that many when you consider that there were nearly two million baby boys born in the U.S. that year! For comparison, [name]Jacob[/name] was the #1 name, and was given to 21,875 boys - so there were around five times as many Jacobs as Olivers.
I definitely agree that [name]Oliver[/name] has been getting more popular, and will likely continue to do so, but I have doubts as to whether it will ever be on the level of a [name]Jacob[/name], [name]Aiden[/name] or [name]William[/name]. Plus, the name is extremely classic - it’s never been off the top 1000 since 1880 - and so I think you shouldn’t rule it out sheerly because of popularity.
Sorry for typing a novel! Good luck 
Thanks Esrever88, growing up with the name [name]Josh[/name], I don’t want my son to be in a class with 4 other students with the same name, like I was! I would freak out if it became the new [name]Aiden[/name]. I agree with you, that I’m not going to rule it out. Thanks for your thoughtful input.
[name]Oliver[/name] moved up in 2011, but not as much as I thought it would. I was really expecting it to get close to the top 50. [name]Oliver[/name] moved up ten spots from 88th (4,652 babies) to 78th (5,372 babies) most popular boy’s name in the US for 2011. In [name]North[/name] [name]Carolina[/name], it went from 97th (120 babies) in 2010 to 93rd (134 babies) in 2011. I did see where it is in the top spot in the UK. [name]Do[/name] you think the trend will follow here in the US? Where do you experts see [name]Oliver[/name] leveling out at? Top 50? Top 20? Top 10?
Anyone want to chime in?
Hey again!
Predicting which UK trends will catch on in the US (and vice versa) is pretty tricky. Some names make the transition, and some don’t, at least right away - for example, [name]Sophie[/name] for girls was extremely popular in the UK in the 1980’s, but it’s only now, thirty years later, that she’s having her moment in the spotlight over here. So, it’s difficult to predict how far [name]Oliver[/name] will rise. However, I don’t think he will make the Top 10 (or even Top 20, probably) in the near future, if only because I think a lot of American parents will find him too similar to it-girl [name]Olivia[/name].
It is getting too common
I’m in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] and I don’t know where it ranks but I would say it’s too popular. I hear it everywhere.
ETA: According to one source it’s #11 in Canada