Alternatives to Oliver

Alexander

Greek

"defending men"

Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree. Alexander is derived from the Greek name Aléxandros, composed…

River

Nature name

River shares the tranquil feeling of all the water names, and seems to have pretty much escaped its past strong association with River Phoenix and his unfortunate fate. Actor Joaquin Phoenix named…

Elliot

English diminutive of Elias, Greek

"Yahweh is God"

Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style…

Felix

Latin

"happy, fortunate"

Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks…

Peter

Greek

"rock, stone"

Peter is derived from the Greek Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone." One of the most important figures in the Christian hagiography is Saint Peter, keeper of the Gates of Heaven. Born Simon bar Jonah,…

Victor

Latin

"conqueror"

Victor is one of the earliest Christian names, borne (as Vittorio) by several saints and popes, symbolizing Christ's victory over death. It has been quietly in the Top 200 since 1880, but just…

Oscar

English or Irish

"God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"

Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing. In the nineties and the…

Otto

German

"wealthy"

Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers. Like most German names , Otto fell out of favor during and after the two…

Fletcher

English occupational name

"arrow-maker"

Fletcher is a common surname with a touch of quirkiness; it definitely fits into the So Far Out It's In category--and moving further in all the time along with other occupational names from Parker to…

Evander

Scottish; Greek

"bow warrior; strong man"

Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander. Evander was prominent in Greek and Roman mythology: in…

Ollie

Diminutive of Oliver, Latin

"olive tree"

Ollie is the versatile go-to nickname for the hugely popular Oliver, though the large majority of parents prefer to have the more formal name on the birth certificate. Even in the UK where nickname…

Alder

English tree name or surname

"old"

The surname-style Alden has been on the rise in the US in recent years, while tree-inspired Rowan is a top choice. Combine this with the popularity of names ending in -er such as Carter and Parker…

Osvaldo

Spanish variation of Oswald

Popular in the Hispanic community, unlike its English cousin. It has been very near the bottom of the US Top 1000 for the last three years.

Leander

Greek

"lion-man"

Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend,…

Octavius

Latin

"eighth"

Octavius, which was at one time used for the eighth child in a family, has the worn leather patina of all the ancient Roman names now up for reconsideration. As a Roman family name, it derives from…

Sylvester

Latin

"wood, forest"

This name of three early popes has been associated in recent years with a cocky cartoon cat ("Thufferin' thuccatash!") and the Italian Stallion hero of the Rocky and Rambo movies (who was born…

Olivier

French

"olive tree"

More and more frequently heard as the Gallic version of Oliver, Olivier could be seen as a tribute to the great British actor, Sir Laurence O.

Allister

Allister is a variant spelling of Alistair or Alastair, which derived from the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander. The name ultimately traces back to Greek origins meaning "defender of mankind." This…

Jupiter

Latin

"godfather"

Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that her divine mate could follow. But not necessarily for boys — Jupiter is currently mostly female in the US, thanks to its…

Whittaker

English

"white field"

If you discount the connection to the controversial Whittaker Chambers in the days of the Red Scare, Whittaker is a pleasant enough British surname with the preppyish nickname Whit.