This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Oliver.' the French Olivier, Breton, Olier. For 'a Rowland for an Oliver,' v. Yonge, i. 419. The paladin of Charlemagne made it popular, and gave it a knightly sound. After the Protector's days its popularity waned, and it has not yet recovered itself as a baptismal name. The Breton form Olier found friends in this country, and as a surname is fairly common.

Oliver le Quarreur, Close Rolls, 33 Henry III.

Oliver Crane, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Peter fil. Oliver, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Holiver Hankoc, husbond, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Walter Oliver, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Oliver le Hoge, Somerset, 1 Edward III: ibid.

1582. Johana, d. Thomas Olver: Reg. St. Columb Major, Cornwall.

1750. Married — David Oliver and Sarah Cocks: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

1801. — Richard Oilier and Charlotte Hull: ibid.

Walter Otifer witnessed William the Lion's g:ft of the serf Gillemachoi de Conglud with his children and all his descendants to the bishop of Glasgow. c. 1180 (REG., p. 33). Olyver, son of Kyluert, was one of the followers of the earl of March at end of twelfth century ( Neubotle, p. 57, etc.). He was probably ancestor of the Frasers. Oliverius capellanus Willelmi regis c. 1204-11 (RAA., I, p. 48; Inchaffray, p. 273). John Oliuer, prepositus of Berwick, witnessed a gift of land to the Hospital of Soltre, c. 1250-66 (Soltre, p. 32). William Holifarth or Holyfarth held land in Perth, c. 1330 (RAA., II, p. 8), and Thomas Olyver de Swyne witnessed a declaration dated 1436 (Horne, 20). Wille Olipher in Petarno, a follower of Campbell of Lundy, 1541 (RSS., II, 3666), and William Olover was burgess of Dumfries, 1542 (Anderson). Robert Olifeir, burgess of Northberwyk, 1546 (CMN., 73), and Robert Olyphere or Oliphir was bailie of the burgh of North Berwick and of Haddington in 1557 (ER., XIX, p. 71; Laing, 664). John Olifer, burgess of Jedburph, 1680 (RRM., III, p. 100), and John Olipher appears in Bermanie, parish of Elyth 1688 (Dunkeld). In Shetland the Norse name Olaf (ON. Oleifr) has been merged in Oliver. Boece tells a picturesque story that the fall of Acre was due to a Scotsman named Oliver (or Olifer or Olifard) who from circumstances over which he had no control was obliged to fight on the side of the Saracens. On recognizing an old acquaintance in the train of David, earl of Huntingdon, and finding means to make himself known, he agreed to open a postern gate to the Scots on the following night (Stewart, Croniclis, III, p. 50). The name is probably from Old French Olivier, 'fabricant ou marchant d'olive.' The Norse name Olaf-r (-r silent) has had some influence on the great vogue of the name. Oleuer 1527, Oleveir 1521, Oliphar 1517, Olipheir 1590, Olyar 1472, Olywer 1512. Symon le Olaver appears in English Hundred Rolls (1273). compare under Oliphant.

The French Olivier, Old French also Oliver [normally French olivier, olive (-tree: Latin olivari-us, ‘of olives’; from oliva, the olive; but almost certainly Scandinavian nomenclature has had its influence on the great vogue of Oliver—if not the common Old Norse Oleif-r itself (Dano-Norwegian Olaf) (v. Ol(l)iff), at any rate the Old Norse Oelver (Danish- Norwegian Olver) (cp. Old Norse ölvœrr, kind, affectionate); while the somewhat rare Norwegian Oliver is considered by Stöylen (‘Norske Dobenavne,’ p. 68) to be from Ole Iver, Ole being a pet form of Olaf or Olav] The form in the ‘Chanson de Roland’ (Oxf. MS.) is invariably Oliver— Li empereres [i.e. Charlemagne] est en un grant verger, Ensembl’ od [avec] lui Rollanz et Oliver.—La Chanson de Roland, 103-4.

But the 12th-cent. German adaptation usually has Olivier— Thó sprah ther helet Olivier (Then spake the hero Oliver).—Ruolandes Liet, 6005.

V. Oliver.

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.

Peace.

So named from the olive—tree, an emblem of peace.

Oliver. —Distributed over the greater part of England. 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. The personal name occurs in Domesday; and as a surname it was represented in Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire in the reign of Edward I. (Hundred Rolls.).