Parenthood is an amazing, exciting, exhausting, and transformational journey! One of the most precious parts of welcoming a new baby to the world is choosing her name. If you are joining us here, then you have already settled, or are strongly considering, the name Olive for your little girl. Now, you need the perfect middle name to complement Olive and your last name.

Meaning of name Olive:

While many associate Olive with its obvious meaning – olive tree or, singularly, an olive – it always makes me think of the description of warm-toned skin or deep green. Either way, it’s a lovely color mix, reminiscent of nature, earth, and tranquility. And rightly so, Olive has become synonymous with peace.

The phrase “extend an olive branch” is what gives this name its friendly label. To extend an olive branch means to make an offer of peace, agreement, or reconciliation. It is an act of humility, a process to relinquish any hard feelings and allow conflict to cease.

This idea has biblical origins, the first mention in the story of Noah in the Old Testament. After God flooded the earth, Noah sent a dove to find dry land. Initially, the dove did not find land and returned to the ark. But on his final run, he brought back to Noah an olive branch.

Later, olive branches were symbols of peace in ancient Rome and Greece. And they have not lost this meaning, being used over the years in various cultures to communicate the desire to resolve difficult issues and come to an understanding.

Nowadays, the phrase is more metaphorical than literal, but olive branches are often used in weddings or depicted in home decor and artwork to encourage tranquility and peace. Clearly, Olive is a gorgeous and classic first name, and many middle names make good partners.

 

What’s In A Name?

Names are important for so many reasons!

They give us an identity, a sense of belonging (think surnames), a title by which we become known to others. They are the basis for our nicknames and other endearing names that are given to us by family and friends. So, of course, we feel mounting pressure when it is up to us to choose the perfect name – and the perfect middle name – for our sweet little one.

We created our middle name series for this exact season!

If you are a musician (or even a music lover), you may be familiar with the term cadence. It’s a term used to describe rhythm or a synchronized sound. The reason some names sound better together than others is because they have rhythm, which is a pleasing sound to the ears. A name that is too long or has too much alliteration (the same sounds repeated) can feel cumbersome or clumsy. But it really depends on the name!

For example, consider the singer Francesca Battistelli, whose name is rather long but works wonderfully together. It sounds refined and classical rather than long and cumbersome. There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing the best names, but there are some guiding points that can inspire your selection. Creating cadence is just one of them!

 

 

How To Choose the Best Middle Name

 

Names are representative of so many precious things in life. Names may bring to mind memories of special people or places, an important meaning or value, or we may simply like a name for the way it sounds! When you begin making your list of potential middle names, some names may make it onto the list because you’ve heard them before and know you like them

. But some other factors to consider are; a) potential nicknames, b) initials, c) rhythm and flow, d) family or friend names or e) places you like to visit. With these categories in mind, you may find that you can narrow the list to only four or five favorites.

Family Ties:

One source of inspiration is family and friend names. Is there a relative you wish to honor? Or one whose name you are fond of? A friend of mine named her little girl Geneva in honor of her great-grandmother. My husband’s grandmother’s name is Rosalyn, and we have Rosalyn (“Rosie” for short) on our list of girl names. Perhaps you have a childhood best friend or a cousin who can inspire your middle name choice.

One friend decided that her adopted daughter would have the middle name Faith because she and her husband had been believing and hoping for years that God would bless them with a child through the adoption process. When we look around us, there are all sorts of places to find inspiration for middle names!

Special Places:

Another idea for finding a special middle name is to consider a memorable place. London, Paris, Sydney, Regina, Charlotte, Helena, Boston, Valencia, and Georgia are just some options of names inspired by places around the world. Or maybe you have visited a city that is more obscure and would make for a unique middle name for Olive. Another source of inspiration is a character from your favorite book or movie! Or maybe you like the name of the author – think Emily Bronte, Maya Angelou, Willa Cather, or Louisa May Alcott.

You may also ask yourself: Am I going for a classic, traditional, modern, or unique middle name for Olive? Classic names like Emily, Kate, or Elizabeth sound beautiful with Olive. But modern names are not to be counted out! Consider Olive Grey, Olive Jaymes, or Olive Crew. 

Meanings:

Another aspect of naming to consider is the meanings of names, specifically middle names in this case. Since Olive means “peace” and represents reconciliation or harmony, what middle name meaning could be complementary?

For example, when paired together, my eldest son’s full name (first and middle together) means “gracious protector.” We weren’t trying to find complementary names, but it worked out well when we named him after his dad and grandfather. The name Jane means “God is merciful,” which is a seamless fit for “peace.” Or how about the middle name Sloane? Sloane is a name of Irish origin which means warrior. It is essentially the opposite of Olive, which makes for an interesting counterpart to a name that means peace!

Rhythm & Flow:

Since Olive is a relatively short name, perhaps you have decided that a long middle name is in order. This may be especially true if you have a short last name.

My last name is only one syllable, so we found it important to give our sons names with at least two syllables. Now, this does not have to be the case. Plenty of names sound great with only one syllable in the first and last name. But…have you heard many names where all three names are one syllable each? Typically, for the sake of cadence and sophistication, there’s a long-ish name in there somewhere.

For example, Kate Brynn Grey. Kate Grey is a cool name, possibly even the name of an author or influencer. But add a one syllable middle name, and it just felt choppy and short. Which brings me to an important point: one of the best ways to test your name of choice is to simply say it aloud over and over.

Get your partner to practice with you. If the name feels the least bit clunky, boring, short, or long, whether it follows any rules or not, then it doesn’t work for you! When you say your little girl’s name, it should evoke feelings of joy and excitement and peace.

Nick Names:

I mentioned the potential for nicknames earlier, and this is an essential point to consider. Olive Juliette is a beautiful name. The multiple syllable names pair well together, and both names sound classic and sophisticated. Now, it is possible that someone in the family, or maybe a friend down the road, will decide to call her O.J. You feel sure that no one would have the audacity. After all, her name is Olive! But nicknames are powerful – and they have a way of sticking around.

If you have a long name, maybe you are hoping to choose a short middle name for your Olive. There are many great middle name ideas for Olive that begin with one syllable. Consider Olive Jane, Olive Kate, Olive Joy, Olive Grace, or Olive Wren. 

 

105 Best Middle Names For Olive

Choosing a first name and middle name for your little one is a personal and special endeavor, and it’s up to you what should guide your choice! Now that you have some ideas and sources of inspiration, let’s finish with our list of 105 endearing middle names for Olive:

 

  1. Olive Abigail
  2. Olive Alaina
  3. Olive Alexa
  4. Olive Amara
  5. Olive Andrea
  6. Olive Anne
  7. Olive Aspen
  8. Olive Blair
  9. Olive Blake
  10. Olive Bridgette
  11. Olive Brielle
  12. Olive Bronte
  13. Olive Brooklyn
  14. Olive Brynlee
  15. Olive Cadence
  16. Olive Caroline
  17. Olive Catherine
  18. Olive Charlotte
  19. Olive Chayenne
  20. Olive Claire
  21. Olive Cora
  22. Olive Corinne
  23. Olive Danielle
  24. Olive Dawn
  25. Olive Dove
  26. Olive Eleanora
  27. Olive Elizabeth
  28. Olive Emilia
  29. Olive Faith
  30. Olive Faye
  31. Olive Francesca
  32. Olive Hadley
  33. Olive Hannah
  34. Olive Harper
  35. Olive Helena
  36. Olive Hope
  37. Olive Gemma
  38. Olive Geneva
  39. Olive Georgianna
  40. Olive Grace
  41. Olive Greer
  42. Olive Jade
  43. Olive Jane
  44. Olive Jaymes
  45. Olive Jasmine
  46. Olive Jocelyn
  47. Olive Josephine
  48. Olive Joy
  49. Olive Juliette
  50. Olive June
  51. Olive Kate
  52. Olive Kennedy
  53. Olive Kensington
  54. Olive Lane
  55. Olive Leigh
  56. Olive Liliana
  57. Olive Logan
  58. Olive London
  59. Olive Lucy
  60. Olive Luna
  61. Olive MacKenzie
  62. Olive Madison
  63. Olive Madelyn
  64. Olive Mae
  65. Olive Maren
  66. Olive Margaret
  67. Olive Margot
  68. Olive Marie
  69. Olive Mary
  70. Olive Morgan
  71. Olive Natalie
  72. Olive Natasha
  73. Olive Nichole
  74. Olive Noelle
  75. Olive Nora
  76. Olive Oaklyn
  77. Olive Paige
  78. Olive Palmer
  79. Olive Penelope
  80. Olive Peyton
  81. Olive Piper
  82. Olive Quinn
  83. Olive Rae
  84. Olive Raven
  85. Olive Reagan
  86. Olive Reese
  87. Olive Regina
  88. Olive Remi
  89. Olive Rose
  90. Olive Ryan
  91. Olive Ruth
  92. Olive Samantha
  93. Olive Scarlett
  94. Olive Sienna
  95. Olive Sloane
  96. Olive Sophia
  97. Olive Stella
  98. Olive Summer
  99. Olive Sydney
  100. Olive Taylor
  101. Olive Valerie
  102. Olive Virginia
  103. Olive Vivian
  104. Olive Wren
  105. Olive Zoe

 

Whether you choose a middle name that is classic, modern, unique, or traditional, it will be a wonderful choice because you chose it for your Olive. And kids have an amazing way of growing into the names we give them!

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