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![Show Contents]() Oliva History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The chronicles of the Oliva family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived in Roxburgh. While most of the name likely derive from the Old French Oivier, it is supposed that some of the Scottish instances of this name derive from the Old Norse name Oleifr. Early Origins of the Oliva familyThe surname Oliva was first found in Roxburghshire, where the first on record in this shire was Walter Olifer who was a Justiciar (Judge) of the district, who witnessed a gift of William the Lion to the serf Gillemachoi de Conglud with his children and all his descendants to the bishop of Glasgow c. 1180. Olyver, son of Kyluert, was one of the followers of the earl of March at end of twelfth century. 1 Despite the fact that the lion's hare of the family do originate in Scotland and into the English borders, there are significant early English records. "Its principal homes are as follows: in the north, in Northumberland and Durham, whence it extends into the Scottish border counties; in the west, in Herefordshire; in the east, in Lincolnshire; in the south - west (including the contracted form of Olver), in Cornwall; and in the south - east, in Kent and Sussex. " 2 And we would be remiss if we did not mention the earliest entry of the family in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a personal name. Later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the name as both a personal name and a surname: Oliver Crane in Huntingdonshire, 1273; and Peter filius Oliver in Oxfordshire. 3 Early History of the Oliva familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oliva research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1266, 1330, 1436, 1541, 1542, 1546, 1557 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Oliva History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Oliva Spelling VariationsThe origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Oliva has been spelled Oliver, Olivier, Ollivier, Olliver and others. Early Notables of the Oliva familyNotable amongst the family at this time was John Oliuer, prepositus of Berwick, who witnessed a gift of land to the Hospital of Soltre, c. 1250-1266; William Holifarth or Holyfarth held land in Perth, c. 1330; Thomas Olyver de Swyne who witnessed a declaration dated...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oliva Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Oliva RankingIn the United States, the name Oliva is the 3,081st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Oliva is ranked the 3,843rd most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 5  Migration of the Oliva family to Ireland
Some of the Oliva family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Oliva migration to the United States | + |
The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:
Oliva Settlers in United States in the 16th Century- Pedro de Oliva, who sailed to America in 1513
- Cristóbal de Oliva, who sailed to Florida in 1538
- Cristobal De Oliva who arrived in Florida in 1538
- Francisco de al Oliva who immigrated to Costa Rica in 1588
- María de Oliva, who sailed to Peru in 1593
Oliva Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Pedro De Oliva, who landed in America in 1813 6
- Angelo Oliva, who arrived in New Orleans in 1823
- Joaquin Oliva, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1825 6
- Jose Oliva Romeu who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1825
- Jose Oliva, aged 23, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1825 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Oliva Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Richard Oliva, who arrived in Arkansas in 1904 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Oliva (post 1700) | + |
- Lawrence Jay Oliva (1933-2014), American academic, the 14th President of New York University (1991-2002)
- José Oliva (1971-1997), former American professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues
- John Nicholas Oliva (b. 1960), American musician, founder and lead vocalist for Savatage
- Pavel Oliva (1923-2021), born Pavel Ehrenstein, a Czech classical philologist, historian of antiquity, and writer
- Mariana Oliva (b. 1976), retired professional female tennis player from Argentina
- Francisco Javier Oliva (b. 1962), Gibraltarian journalist
- Patrizio Oliva (b. 1959), Italian former boxer
- Carlos Oliva, Honduran football player that currently plays for Marathon
- Roberto Wenceslao Bonomi Oliva (1919-1992), Argentine, Formula One race car driver
- Tony Oliva, professional baseball coach
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Ad foedera cresco
Motto Translation: I gain by treaty
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Oliva migration to the United States 
England
Italy
Scotland
Spain
Ireland
