olivia

English - English

Definition of olivia in English English dictionary

A female given name

'Olivia, that's a fine posh name for Castlebay,' he said approvingly. 'Ah, they're sick of these Davids and Clares and Gerrys, the dull old names,' Clare laughed. 'I hope they won't call her Olly,' David said. 'Make your own nickname then,' Gerry said. 'Livy?' Clare suggested. 'Liffey even?' Gerry said.

given name, female

Related Terms

Olivia Mary de Havilland

born July 1, 1916, Tokyo, Japan U.S. film actress. Born to British parents, she was raised in California. She made her film debut in 1935 and played the delicate heroine opposite Errol Flynn in swashbucklers such as Captain Blood (1935) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). She revealed dramatic depth in Gone with the Wind (1939), To Each His Own (1946, Academy Award), The Snake Pit (1948), and The Heiress (1949, Academy Award). Her victory in a landmark lawsuit against Warner Brothers (1945) limited actors' contracts to seven years, including suspension periods. She moved to Paris in 1955 and made only rare film appearances thereafter

Olivia de Havilland

born July 1, 1916, Tokyo, Japan U.S. film actress. Born to British parents, she was raised in California. She made her film debut in 1935 and played the delicate heroine opposite Errol Flynn in swashbucklers such as Captain Blood (1935) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). She revealed dramatic depth in Gone with the Wind (1939), To Each His Own (1946, Academy Award), The Snake Pit (1948), and The Heiress (1949, Academy Award). Her victory in a landmark lawsuit against Warner Brothers (1945) limited actors' contracts to seven years, including suspension periods. She moved to Paris in 1955 and made only rare film appearances thereafter

Dame Judith Olivia Dench

born Dec. 9, 1934, York, Yorkshire, Eng. British actress. She made her stage debut in 1957 as Ophelia in Hamlet, and Shakespearean works became her specialty. She also performed in musical roles, starring in the London premiere of Cabaret in 1968. Among her many other notable credits were the 1981-84 TV series A Fine Romance and the films 84 Charing Cross Road (1986), Mrs. Brown (1997) in which she starred as Queen Victoria and Shakespeare in Love (1998, Academy Award)

Hyphenation

O·li·vi·a

Turkish pronunciation

ōlîviı

Pronunciation

/ōˈləvēə/ /oʊˈlɪviːə/

Etymology

() From Latin Oliva, an early saints' name from oliva "olive" (symbol of peace). Shakespeare used the form Olivia in Twelfth Night. By folk etymology used as the feminine form of Oliver and, in Scandinavia, of Olaf.