Oliva
A surname from the olive tree or olive fruit, used in several Romance-language traditions.
The #1,835 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,823 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Oliva comes from Latin oliva, meaning “olive” or “olive tree.” In surname use it usually points to the tree, the fruit, or a place associated with olive-growing, and it may also have arisen as a feminine or related form in Romance naming traditions. The same root lies behind surnames and given names such as Olive and Olivia.
History
The historical notes you provided mostly support the basic olive-tree etymology and show the word in Romance languages, especially Spanish. As a surname, Oliva is especially common in Italy and Spain and also appears in areas influenced by those languages. In some cases it may be a topographic or locational surname, referring to an olive grove or a place name rather than a direct nickname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The olive branch has long been a symbol of peace, which helped make olive-based names feel especially positive and auspicious.
From the historical record
“OLIVE \ (A.-Fr.-Lat.) bLiVE [Fr. olive^ Lat. OLLIVE J oliva, the olive] (Sca:nd.) for OKOiff, q.v. OLIVER \ the French Olivier, O.Fr. also OLLIVER J Oliver [normally Fr. olivier, olive”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)