Figures have been released today from the Office of National Statistics to say that Oliver for boys and Olivia for girls have topped the charts for the second year in a row as the most popular baby names in the UK.

A few facts about the name Oliver:

- A variation of the French name Olivier.

- Used in English-speaking countries since medieval times.

- Influenced by Oliver Cromwell, the 17th century British military leader who was lord protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

- A literary name for Charles Dickens' title character, "Oliver Twist."  Also popular in Scotland and Sweden.

A few facts about the name Olivia:

- William Shakespeare is credited with inventing the name for the rich heiress wooed by a duke in his play, "Twelfth Night".

- Possibly taken from the Latin word "oliva" which means "olive."

- The name was influenced during the 1970s by Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John and first entered the top 100 in 1990.

Below an image of the infamous Oliver Twist, 1968

Below an image of Olivia Newton John in the hit classic Grease, 1978

My 1st Years have noticed this trend occur with the personalised names used for each gift sold. Olivia and Oliver have been extremely popular names on the website and we can certainly see why they have been voted most popular names in the UK.