Show ContentsOlive History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Olive family

The surname Olive was first found in Northampton, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Olive family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Olive research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1635, 1684, 1685 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Olive History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Olive Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Olive, Oliff, Oliffe, Oliph and others.

Early Notables of the Olive family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Thomas Olive (c.1635-1692) from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, 2nd Deputy Governor of West Jersey from 1684-1685

Olive Ranking

In the United States, the name Olive is the 4,659th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Olive is ranked the 903rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,708 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Olive family to Ireland

Some of the Olive 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.


Olive migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Olive Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Judith Olive, who landed in Virginia in 1665 3
  • Thomas Olive who settled in Newcastle in 1677
  • Thomas Olive, who landed in New Jersey in 1677 3
  • Anne Olive, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 3
  • Anne Olive and her husband settled in Pennsylvania in 1682
Olive Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Olive, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 3
  • Francis Olive, who settled in Virginia in 1737
  • Nicholas Olive, who arrived in New York in 1795 3

Olive migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Olive Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. William Olive U.E. who settled in Carleton, [Saint John West] New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1822 4

Olive migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Olive Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Olive, (b. 1808), aged 26, English farm servant who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
  • Joseph Olive, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Aboukir" in 1847 6
  • Ann Olive, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Aboukir" in 1847 6
  • John Olive, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 7
  • James Jane Olive, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Olive migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Olive Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Olive, (b. 1824), aged 32, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 8
  • Mrs. Maria Olive, (b. 1825), aged 31, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 8
  • Mr. Henry Olive, (b. 1845), aged 11, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 8
  • Mr. James Olive, (b. 1847), aged 9, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 8
  • Mr. Edward Olive, (b. 1851), aged 5, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Olive (post 1700) +

  • Rich Olive (1949-2016), American politician, Member of the Iowa Senate (2007-2011)
  • Ruth Olive, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1956 9
  • Kenneth L. Olive, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1996 9
  • Ben G. Olive Jr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 1960 9
  • Renato Olivé (b. 1971), Italian former footballer
  • Joan Olivé Marquez (b. 1984), Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer
  • Ceferi Eduardo Olivé i Cabré (b. 1907), Catalan painter
  • Angela Olive Stalker (1940-1992), best known by the name Angela Carter, English writer
  • Olive May Graves Percival (1868-1945), American writer, photographer, gardener and artist
  • Olive Moorefield (b. 1932), American actress and singer who appeared in more than twenty films from 1954 to 1976

HMS Hood
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Ernest Roskelly Olive (d. 1912), aged 28, English Clothes Presser Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 11
  • Mr. Charles Olive, aged 31, English Trimmer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on collapsible B 11


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. 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
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ABOUKIR 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Aboukir.htm
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  10. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  11. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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