Oliver vs Sebastian
Oliver and Sebastiancompared 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, Oliver was ranked #2 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Oliver was ranked #2 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Oliver was ranked #3 and Sebastian #45 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Oliver was ranked #5 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Oliver was ranked #7 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Oliver was ranked #10 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Oliver was ranked #18 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Oliver and Sebastian over time
Oliver and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 219 years of shared records. Oliver held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sebastian in 1.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2008, Oliver moved ahead of Sebastian in Norway · Boys — #14 and #11 the year before became #3 and #12.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 50 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Oliver and Sebastian averaged 52.5 places apart, ending at #3 and #45.
- Longest-running competitions
Oliver and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 50 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #3 and #45.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Oliver #3 in 2016, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
List by list
Norway · Boys58 shared years, 1968–2025
Oliver held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Sebastian in 38.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #1 in 2018, Sebastian #6 in 2006.
The order changed in 2008: Oliver moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #14 and #11; by 2008 that had become #3 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Oliver #5, Sebastian #53.
England and Wales · Boys50 shared years, 1996–2024
Oliver held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #1 in 2009, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Oliver #3, Sebastian #45.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1970–2025
Oliver held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #18 in 2025, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Oliver #18, Sebastian #125.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Oliver held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #1 in 2014, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Oliver #2, Sebastian #31.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Oliver held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #3 in 2016, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Oliver #10, Sebastian #154.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023
Oliver held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #1 in 2013, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Oliver #2, Sebastian #52.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | Old French | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɒlɪvər/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Oliver is recorded with a Old French origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Oliver and Sebastian both have 3 syllables.
- Oliver's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys