Contents [hide]

Olliver History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Olliver History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Olliver surname in Britain is derived from the Old French name "Olivier", a baptismal name originally derived as "son of Oliver." One of Charlemagne's paldins better know as one of the Twelve Peers made the name popular and thus gave it the knightly sound. The Breton variant "Olier" was very popular. 1

"Both as a baptismal name and a surname, was probably imported from France, where it was long associated with romantic literature. The Domesday of Devonshire presents us with a tenant called Oliver, in the modern orthography." 2

"The French Olivier, recorded in 1011, was at first southern and later became common through the influence of the Chanson de Roland. Dauzat takes it as symbolic, from olivier 'an olive branch', the emblem of peace. This can hardly be the origin of the name of the peer of Charlemagne which is probably Teutonic." 3

Early Origins of the Olliver family

The surname Olliver was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Oilverus was recorded (no county was provided in the entry.) 4 As a forename, Oliuerus de Vendouer was recorded in Lincolnshire (1149-1162.) 3

Later in Cornwall and the West country, Jordan Oliver, Olivier was on record in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1201, and in the Pipe Rolls for Cornwall in 1204. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Peter filius Oliver in Oxfordshire. 5

The barton of Treneere in the parish of Madern, Cornwall was sold alienated by the family of Oliver in the year 1768, to which family it had belonged a considerable time prior to that period. 6

Early History of the Olliver family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Olliver research. Another 243 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1206, 1260, 1275, 1327, 1463, 1532, 1545, 1556, 1571, 1582, 1601, 1617, 1679, 1692, 1695, 1706 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Olliver History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Olliver Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Oliver, Olivier, Ollivier, Olliver and others.

Early Notables of the Olliver family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Oliver, dean of King Henry VIII's College at Oxford (1532-1545); Thomas Oliver (c. 1601-1679), the second husband of Bridget Bishop, who on 10 June...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Olliver Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Olliver family to Ireland

Some of the Olliver family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Olliver migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Olliver Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Miss Marie Olliver, aged 21, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 7
Mr. Thomas Olliver, (b. 1601), aged 36, British calinder from Norwich traveling aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in New England in 1637 8
Miss Marey Olliver, (b. 1603), aged 34, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in New England in 1637 8
Mr. Thomas Olliver, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in New England in 1637 8
Mr. John Olliver, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in New England in 1637 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Olliver Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. William Olliver, (b. 1855), aged 30, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "City of Rome" arriving in the United States on 18 September 1885 9

Olliver migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Olliver Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. William S. Olliver Jr., U.E. born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 10
Mr. William Sanford Olliver U.E. born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 10

Olliver migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11

Olliver Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Olliver, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife and servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Olliver (post 1700) +

Commander George R. Olliver, U.S. Navy officer who was injured in the crash of an Otter aircraft on December 22, 1955, eponym of Olliver Peak, Antarctica
Michael Orlando Olliver (b. 1959), American former basketball player, Southland Player of the Year (1981)
Thomas "Tom" Olliver (1812-1874), born Oliver or Olivere, English steeplechase jockey and racehorse trainer who won three Grand Nationals
Arthur Olliver (1916-1988), Australian rules footballer who played from 1935 to 1963, inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame

Historic Events for the Olliver family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. Alfred Olliver, aged 27, English Quartermaster from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 5 12

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html