This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Olive f. Latin oliva 'olive, olive-tree'.

The name of a (perhaps legendary) 9th C Sicilian saint.

England
Latin
1296 Oliva (nom) RCS-1 p. 94b, Olive (gen) ibid. p. 95b, Olivia (nom) ibid. p. 95b; 1321 Olivia (nom) CTG-6 78, p. 302, EL-2 p. 162; 1340xc1450 Oliua (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 59; 1377 Oliva (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6; 1381 Oliva (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 82, Olive (nom) ibid. p. 84, Olyva (nom) ibid. p. 108
Early Modern English
1572 Olive StAnthonlin p. 22; 1589 Olive COmar-vol2 p. 72; 1592 Ollyfe BEmar-vol1 p. 15; 1597 Olive DEmar-vol2 p. 36; 1598 Olive SaxhamSf p. 57
France
Latin
c823 Oliva (nom) irminon-vol2 70, Palatiolum; 1311 Oliva (nom) LibSenTou fol. 118, Olivam (acc) ibid. fol. 118
Middle French
1565 Olive RegPCC-1 p. 127; 1566 Olive ibid. p. 237; 1567 Olive ibid. p. 322, Olyve ibid. p. 358; 1568 Olive ibid. p. 401
Italy
Latin
1265x1339 Uliva (nom) BBC-Berg 270
Spain
Latin
1488 Oliva (nom) carbonell-I p. 18
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Olive". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2016/3/name/Olive.