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Olivia Pyrc in Frankenmuth, Michigan (August 2024). Photographed by Nicole Hagle.
Finding Meaning in My Name
Finding Meaning in My Name
by Olivia Pyrc
“It was the only thing that me and your dad could agree on.” My mom shared these words when I asked why I was named “Olivia.” I hoped to hear about how I was named after my great-great-great-grandmother who raised 10 children on her own while simultaneously leading the fight for women's suffrage, but this was not the case. When I came to my parents, I assumed they had chosen this name for a reason. After I overcame the initial disappointment of my mother's response, I continued my search forward and turned to an alternative source and hopefully a more satisfying result.
Since 2001, the name Olivia has been in the top 10 baby names for girls born in the U.S. (“Popularity”). Despite living with this name for over 18 years, and meeting dozens of people who shared it with me, I had never thought about its meaning. Since my initial inquiry didn’t reveal a familial or deep-rooted reply, I decided to focus on the literal meaning of my name. The name Olivia comes from the Latin word meaning “olive,” which was a “symbol of peace and friendship” (Moss). While this was interesting, I had never been described as peaceful in any sense of the word, so I kept searching in hopes of feeling a connection toward my name. Olivia became popular in the 18th century after a character in William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” carried the name (Moss). Although the only Shakespeare I read was Romeo and Juliet in the ninth grade, this gave me the lineal meaning I lacked. According to Folger University, in “Twelfth Night,” Countess Olivia was a beautiful and independent woman without any men controlling her, who persevered through the death of her dad and brother (Mowat & Werstine). Even though I have not had to work through the death of my family while running an estate, I do enjoy the thought of being named after a strong woman who is the personification of the person I strive to be.
While I might not connect with the literal meaning of my name, or be named after a revered family member, I am named after an admirable historical character. Although it wasn’t my parent's intent to name me after the persona of Countess Olivia, without her, the name Olivia might have never gotten popular, and I could have been called something else entirely. I am proud that my name was largely born through the appreciation of a resilient woman, even if this history was not directly mine. While I have always appreciated the name because it was my own, now I will be proud of the power, independence, and history that comes with “Olivia.”
Works Cited
Moss, Jennifer. “Olivia.” Name Meaning, Popularity and Info on BabyNames.Com, 7 Feb. 2025, babynames.com/name/olivia.
Mowat, Barbara, and Paul Werstine. “About Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.” Folger Shakespeare Library, The Folger Shakespeare, www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/twelfth-night/about-shakespeares-twelfth-night/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
“Popularity of Olivia.” U.S. SSA Baby Name Database. U.S. Social Security Administration, www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin//babyname.cgi. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.
Pyrc, Olivia. Picture of Olivia Pyrc. August. 2024. Author's personal collection.
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