Namewise

Arthur vs Oliver

Arthur and Olivercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and Oliver #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Arthur was ranked #11 and Oliver #2 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #5 and Oliver #6 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Oliver #5 among boys in Norway.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Oliver #7 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Oliver #10 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Oliver #18 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Arthur and Oliver over time

Arthur and Oliver appear together in 6 published lists, across 187 years of shared records. Oliver held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Arthur in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Oliver reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Arthur in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Arthur and Oliver changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1959 and 2025, ending at #83 and #5.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Arthur and Oliver were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #5 and #6.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #74 in 2020, Oliver #1 in 2018.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 62.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Oliver #14 in 1975.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Oliver #18.

  • Norway · Boys56 shared years, 1959–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Oliver in 48.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Oliver #1 in 2018.

    The order changed in 1990: Oliver moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #369 and #434; by 1990 that had become #449 and #231.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Oliver #5.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Oliver in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Oliver #1 in 2009.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #5, Oliver #6.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024

    Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Oliver #3 in 2016.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Oliver #10.

  • New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023

    Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, Oliver #1 in 2014.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, Oliver #2.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, Oliver #1 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, Oliver #2.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Arthur

Pairs where Arthur shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Oliver

Pairs where Oliver shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Norway lists

Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Arthur, Oliver
FieldArthurOliver
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningMeaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence.Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated.
OriginDisputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly RomanOld French
Pronunciation/ˈɑɹθər//ˈɒlɪvər/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesArt, ArtieOllie, Olivier, Oliviero
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #5 (2025)United Kingdom #1 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Oliver is recorded with a Old French origin.
  • Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Oliver.
  • Arthur's recorded meaning differs from Oliver's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
  • The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Oliver a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Arthur

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Oliver

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1959

    First recorded at #478 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #6 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys