Where does “Oliver” come from?
Oliver (Swedish) comes from English Oliver, from Old French Olivier, from Old Norse Óleifr, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Ancestry of “Oliver”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Oliver | Drunk, pissed |
| 2 | Old French | Olivier | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | Óleifr | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |