Baby name story: Olivia

Olive Garden-loving couple Justin and Jordan Garton of Fort Smith, Arkansas, welcomed their first child, a baby girl, in December of 2017.

Her name? Olivia Garton.

They had considered naming her Olive, but ultimately decided that “Olive” was too on-the-nose. In choosing Olivia instead, they “were able to make the joke, but a little more subtle, and it’s still a pretty name,” said Jordan.

In mid-November, Justin announced the baby’s name via tweet: “We spent the first part of our lives loving @olivegarden, now we get to spend the rest of our lives loving Olivia Garton.” Olive Garden responded by sending the growing family a few gifts.

P.S. The baby’s middle name is Michelle, giving her the fun initials O.M.G.

Sources:

• “Couple that loves Olive Garden to name their daughter Olivia Garton.” ABC News 22 Nov. 2017.
• Justin Garton tweet (8 Dec. 2017)

Image: Adapted from Olive Garden (13954273905) by Mike Mozart under CC BY 2.0.

[Latest update: Jun. 2025]