Oliver vs Samir
Oliver and Samircompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Oliver was ranked #3 and Samir #898 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Oliver was ranked #5 and Samir #518 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Oliver was ranked #7 and Samir #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Oliver was ranked #25 and Samir #552 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Oliver and Samir over time
Oliver and Samir appear together in 3 published lists, across 113 years of shared records. Oliver held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Samir 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.
Samir reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Oliver 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
Oliver and Samir changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2025, ending at #5 and #518.
- Mirrored each other
Over 52 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Oliver rose about as far as Samir fell — from #23 and #414 in 1996 to #3 and #898 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Oliver and Samir were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 52 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #3 and #898.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys52 shared years, 1996–2024
Oliver held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Samir in 0.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #1 in 2009, Samir #328 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Oliver #3, Samir #898.
Norway · Boys51 shared years, 1966–2025
Oliver held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Samir in 17.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #1 in 2018, Samir #304 in 1973.
The order changed in 1990: Oliver moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #434 and #414; by 1990 that had become #231 and #591.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Oliver #5, Samir #518.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2003–2021
Oliver held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samir in 0.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #24 in 2018, Samir #423 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Oliver #25, Samir #552.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Oliver | Samir |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Old French | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɒlɪvər/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | Norway · Boys #518 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Oliver has a recorded origin (Old French); Samir does not have one recorded yet.
- Oliver has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Samir.
- A meaning is recorded for Oliver; Samir doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Oliver
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Samir
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #445 among boys in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2025
Highest recorded position: #275 among boys in Norway, in 1964 (recorded 1957–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #518 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys