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Origin / History of the Oliver / Olliver Name

Indications are that the name Olliver is may be a form of the ancient name Oliver.  The name is thought to have been introduced into the British Isles around the time of the Norman invasion in the 11th Century, however there is some doubt about the origin of the name.   It is thought that it may bear some connection with the growing of olives, so therefore is possibly a name of someone who lived in or near an olive grove, perhaps in France.  However, it has also been suggested it may be related to the Norse-Viking word Olifr, which loosely translates as 'honourable ancestor'. 

The Oliver families were reasonably prolific in and around Angmering, Sussex, during the 18^th and 19^th Centuries, being prosperous farmers or mill owners.  The most famous local character in the 18^th Century (and perhaps even today) was John Olliver (1709-1793), and considerable amounts have been written about him.  John was an eccentric - he was also the Miller of Highdown Hill, a poet, rural philosopher, and a smuggler.  He set the sails on his windmill to warn smugglers if the coast was clear, he kept his coffin under his bed and built his own tomb on Highdown some 30 years before he died. In lonely isolation, the tomb surrounded by railings still stands today.  It is written that he had six grand-children but it is also written that he left the mill to two nephews provided they carried on milling.  In the event, the windmill was pulled down in 1826.

Coat of Arms / Crest
A Coat of Arms is bestowed upon individuals, not families.  They are not transferable, but may be handed down and derived by family members. 

There is a coat of arms for the name Olliver, it has a red field, charged with the blazon of a mullet (knights spur) between three crescents, all silver, indicating victory over the infidels.  However, there is no proof that this belongs to this branch of the Olliver family.

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