Our names are the legacy that we leave behind. They have power, meaning, and significance in the way that we interact with ourselves and the world. It makes sense, then, why names can be difficult for new parents to choose. We want names that will speak something to the lives that our children will live. We want them to sound nice. The names that we pick for our children will follow them potentially through their whole lives.
It’s a lot of pressure for new parents! Fortunately, I’ve done some of the hard work for you. If you love the first name Oliver, but can’t land on a middle name to combine with it, look no further! Below are some of the best middle names for Oliver!
Names Have Power
Have you ever met someone named Sean and thought to yourself, “They look like a Sean!”? Turns out, it’s legit! According to The New Yorker, our brains make small associations between people, objects, and images. Some have found that people really do take on attributes of their names. Apparently, scientists have found that names have the power to sell products better, and even correlate with more successful law practices! When we pick our children’s names, we can set them up for success in one more way by being intentional about the names that our children will grow up with!
I have seen many people be affectedly their middle names, be proud of their middle names, be ashamed of them but it’s a journey we all have with getting to know ourselves, and with that comes being proud of our names. Many children throughout their lives have correlated their middle names with being in trouble with their parents, many have taken their names and given great success behind them. Whether or not people have embraced their middle names understanding that within society people look at you and have preconceived notions regarding your name is both important and also just as much not important. What I mean to say is, this will affect your child’s life but the beautiful thing is that you as a parent get to teach them that they must not worry about other people’s opinions and instead can make their names into something great based on who they are. Names have power, but we must also remember that a person’s impression can change anyone’s view of a name.
Are Middle Names Important?
Middle names bring an extra oomph to our first names and fill out the meaning of our names as a whole. Do you want to be “noble” or do you want to be a “noble warrior“? Isn’t that such a badass difference? Middle names can also carry on a legacy of a loved one or family member that made a difference in your life. I personally have my grandmother’s name as my middle name, and my son is named after one of my husband’s close friends that passed away. Our names are a reminder of beautiful people living on.
How Will They Use It?
As parents, we know that sometimes our kids won’t like the same things that we do. They may end up not even liking the name you pick out! That’s okay because you also chose a wonderful middle name that they could use as a replacement. You’re giving your kid options. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it! A family member of mine is just one Jonathan in a line of probably 50 Jonathans in the family. He goes by his middle name now, and honestly, it suits him. Yay parents!
Strong Middle Names for Oliver
1.Oliver Andrew
2.Oliver Jordan
3.Oliver Joseph
4.Oliver Nolan
5.Oliver Ray
6.Oliver David
7.Oliver Daniel
8.Oliver John
9.Oliver Randall
10.Oliver Ryan
11.OliverDerek
12.Oliver Tyler
13.Oliver Jacob
14.Oliver Benjamin
15.Oliver Glenn
16.Oliver Matthew
17.Oliver Michael
18.Oliver Samuel
Vintage Middle Names for Oliver
19. Oliver Huxley
20. Oliver Abel
21. Oliver James
22. Oliver Edward
23. Oliver Jay
24. Oliver Holden
25. Oliver Clive
26. Oliver Edmond
27. Oliver Augustus
28. Oliver Watson
29. Oliver Walt
30. Oliver Lawrence
31. Oliver Arthur
32. Oliver Philip
33. Oliver Sabastian
34. Oliver Finn
Rare Middle Names for Oliver
35. Oliver Atlas
36. Oliver Storm
37. Oliver Axel
38. Oliver Abner
39. Oliver Arlo
40. Oliver Angus
41. Oliver Easton
42. Oliver Graham
Badass Middle Names for Oliver
43. Oliver Steven
44. Oliver Flynn
45. Oliver Lucas
46. Oliver Knight
47. Oliver Neal
48. Oliver Michael
49. Oliver Ethan
50. Oliver Simon
51. Oliver Frank
52. Oliver Stanley
53. Oliver Greyson
54. Oliver August
55. Oliver Aaron
Outdoorsy Middle Names for Oliver
56. Oliver Bear
57. Oliver Cedar
58. Oliver Canyon
59. Oliver Linden
60. Oliver Birch
61. Oliver Lynx
62. Oliver Crow
63. Oliver Ash
64. Oliver Forest
65. Oliver River
66. Oliver Cloud
67. Oliver Hunter
68. Oliver Pippin
69. Oliver Selby
70. Oliver North
71. Oliver Brooks
Facts About the Name Oliver
Oliver is commonly used as a boy name, deriving from Norse, Latin, or French origins. The Norse name, Aleifr, means “Ancestor’s Descendant”. The Latin and French origins stem from “Olive” or “Olive tree”. Olive trees are known as a symbol of peace, beauty, and dignity.
The name Oliver was incredibly popular in the United States in the early 1900s. At that point, it was the 95th most popular name, according to the Social Security Administration. It dropped in popularity in the 1980’s but began climbing again soon after. It even ranked in the top 3 most popular names in the US in 2020!
Celebrities Named Oliver
Ranker.com lists many popular, smart, and successful people named Oliver! Here are just a few examples:
Oliver James Platt is a great example of someone who has done well, Oliver James Platt is a Canadian-American actor. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors Guilds Award!
Oliver Phelps is another great recent example of someone with the name. Oliver Martyn John Phelps, with his great work of being in the Harry Potter Series, he has shown the professionalism, the etiquette, and complete skill it takes to be an actor.
One last great example of a famous person who has a strong middle name paired with the great name of Oliver is, Oliver Stone. Oliver Stone is a US filmmaker, producer, and director. He is well known for his 1983 gangster film, Scarface, Platoon (1986), and Midnight Express (1978). He’s received multiple praises, including Academy Awards for both Best Director and Best Picture, as well as multiple Best Director Oscars!
To Close
To close I must say that names have much power, names have an effect on people’s lives, names have so many variants that can stem from this choice. We must know though that just like so many things in life that are truly portraying who we are, are much less what makes us but more what we make them. I have made so many friends in my life where my first impression of them is negative because of my personal correlation with their names, and yet giving them a chance and actually being around them and seeing who they, themselves are changed my perception of that name. The funny thing is, the opposite has occurred, I have been around many people whose names I have had positive correlations of, and soon realized after being around them that, that is not the case. I think we can just assume that knowing someone’s name can really be important but it is they who decide what their name can be correlated with.
We must also know that as parents we have the opportunity to teach our kids the best that we can, and once they are old enough to act for themselves, it is they who decide the meaning of their names. I remember once I was old enough to understand this concept and I was taught what my name meant I took it upon myself to live up to my name, but then realized years later that it is not the name that makes me but it is who makes the name. The beautiful thing about this concept though is not the fact that we shouldn’t weigh the meaning of our names, it’s is the fact that they can easily be used as very slight guides as to be better people. Most names I have come across have had a positive meaning and this is what I mean by a guide.
I could go on and on. Oliver is such a wonderful name and could be amplified by really any middle name, but as I’ve stated, names are important, so I had to be intentional about the ones listed above. I hope you find a middle name for your little one that highlights exactly what you want. Whether you hope your child is strong, classy, rare, or adventurous (or a mix of them all), I hope you enjoyed this list and found it helpful! Congratulations on your new arrival! I wish you luck!!
I’m Cathrine and I’m a 39-year-old mother of 3 from Utica, New York. And I’m extremely happy you’ve come to visit my hide-out on the web. Here I post about everything related to family-life and usually it will involve babies and lessons I’ve learned over the years from experts, friends, and my own mistakes. So hopefully you will find what i write fun and informational!
