Olivia was the most popular name for baby girls in 2017, according to data released by Greenslopes Private Hospital based on the birth occurrences in its maternity ward. Olivia’s counterpart for the opposite sex, Oliver, also landed in the top spot but had tied with three other names: Harrison, Henry and William.
Most of the girls from more than 1,000 babies who were born at Greenslopes Private Hospital were named Olivia, followed by Zara, Zoe, Addison, and Ava. Other popular names that made it to the list were Amelia or Emilia, Charlotte, Matilda, and Chloe. For the boys, Liam, Charlie, Jacob, and Thomas had also made it to the list aside from the four which tied at number one.
Greenslopes Maternity Ward has only been open since 2013. The ward boasts of luxurious hotel-like amenities and the highest standards of care. A total of 26 single rooms are fitted out with flat screen TVs and coffee machines. There are also four birth suites and 16 special care and night nursery cots. The Special Care Nursery staff is made up of skilled midwives and neonatal nurses aside from paediatricians and neonatologists.
How popular are the names Olivia and Oliver in Australia?
Both Olivia and Oliver are derivations of Latin word “oliva” or “olive”. In the Bible, olive trees symbolise fruitfulness, beauty, and dignity, hence, “extending an olive branch” signifies an offer of peace. Olivia, additionally, was first popularised by William Shakespeare in the “Twelfth Night”.
Olivia and Oliver have actually always been ranked in the list of top baby names across Australia.
Olivia was the top girl baby name in 2014, according to McCrindale. McCrindale is Australia’s group of social researchers analysing the trends through surveys on communities and societies.
Whilst Charlotte exceeded Olivia from number one for 2017, Olivia held the top rank in NSW for this year. Elsewhere, aside from Charlotte and Olivia, parents in most of the states and territories in the country also named their babies Ava, Mia, and Amelia.
On the other hand, Oliver has maintained the top spot for boys’ names for three years in a row. There were 2,145 babies named Oliver across the country last year. In the territories however, there were more babies named Jack and William.
For the complete list of top 50 names for both baby boys and girls at the Greenslopes Maternity, click here.