| Oliver | Leo | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Olive tree | Lion |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | OL-iv-er | LEE-oh |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2024 (15,396) | 2022 (8,293) |
| In 2025 | 14,939 | 8,173 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Oliver | Leo |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 89,293 | 47,481 |
| 2010s | 98,160 | 44,706 |
| 2000s | 20,935 | 12,274 |
| 1990s | 6,570 | 4,738 |
| 1980s | 4,153 | 4,541 |
| 1970s | 3,732 | 5,365 |
| 1960s | 3,340 | 9,487 |
| 1950s | 4,987 | 15,536 |
| 1940s | 6,057 | 16,962 |
| 1930s | 6,709 | 22,864 |
| 1920s | 10,900 | 36,960 |
| 1910s | 8,657 | 26,656 |
| 1900s | 2,088 | 5,629 |
| 1890s | 2,035 | 4,691 |
| 1880s | 2,287 | 2,098 |
Oliver is usually traced to the Latin oliva, “olive tree” — a long-standing symbol of peace — though some scholars link it to the Norse Áleifr (an ancestor of Olaf).
Leo is the Latin word for “lion,” long associated with courage and strength, and shared with the zodiac sign.
Oliver is more popular than Leo today: about 14,939 US babies were given the name Oliver in 2025, compared with 8,173 named Leo.
Oliver means Olive tree (Latin origin), while Leo means Lion (Latin origin).
In US records, Oliver first appears in 1880 and Leo in 1880, so Oliver has the longer recorded history.