Boy Names Like Oliver

Orlando, the ornate Italianate twist on the dated Roland, with a literary heritage stretching back to Shakespeare and before, has appealing book-ended o's, and is open to combination with almost any last name, a la British actor, Orlando Bloom.

Artistic associations with the sculptor who invented the mobile make this one of the more creative surname choices.

This variation has the popular Eli (or for femalies Elli) prefix and nickname. Elian ranks in the Top 20 in Puerto Rico.

More and more frequently heard as the Gallic version of Oliver, Olivier could be seen as a tribute to the great British actor, Sir Laurence O.

If you're tired of Oliver, you might consider this energetic three-syllable surname instead, so you could have a little Tolly instead of an Ollie.

The name of this pretty Mediterranean shrub is reminiscent of popular classic Oliver, and interestingly its etymology appears to overlap too: oleander most likely derives from Greek rhododendron "rose tree", with its form successively influenced by laurea "laurel" and olea "olive tree".

With the rise of ancient Roman names, Octavian suddenly seem plausible again. A variation of Octavius and relative of the more modern Octavio, it's an equally attractive member of the trio.

Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors Damian Lewis, of Homeland, and Helen McCrory also have a son named Gulliver.

Too tied to those well-publicized twins.

Ancient Roman surname from which European favorite Livia derives. The Roman historian Titus Livius is better known in English as Livy.