Oliver vs Thanh
Oliver and Thanhcompared 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 2011, Oliver was ranked #2 and Thanh #4647 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2001, Oliver was ranked #49 and Thanh #523 among boys in Norway.
Oliver and Thanh over time
Oliver and Thanh appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Oliver held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Thanh 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.
Thanh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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 Thanh changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1959 and 2001, ending at #49 and #523.
- Longest-running competitions
Oliver and Thanh were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 30 years, from 1959 to 2001, ending at #49 and #523.
List by list
Norway · Boys30 shared years, 1959–2001
Oliver held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Thanh in 7.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #49 in 2001, Thanh #333 in 1972.
The order changed in 1990: Oliver moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #434 and #416; by 1990 that had become #231 and #546.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Oliver #49, Thanh #523.
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 | Thanh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5691 (2014) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Oliver has a recorded origin (Old French); Thanh does not have one recorded yet.
- Oliver has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Thanh.
- A meaning is recorded for Oliver; Thanh doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Thanh
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #433 among girls in Norway in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–2003
Highest recorded position: #329 among girls in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1954–2003).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2014
Most recently recorded at #5691 among girls in England and Wales, in 2014.
England and Wales · Girls