The "Olive" in Jeter Olive Barker

For the longest time, it was somewhat of a mystery where the name "Olive" came from in our family. My grandfather was Jeter Olive Barker, and my dad was Jeter Olive Barker, Junior. My dad went by Bud; my grandad by Jete. Family lore has it that my grandfather offered my dad $100 to name me the third. While I can appreciate the historic nature of the name now, I cannot imagine going through school with it. So I _really_ appreciate my dad turning down the $100.

But the question has lingered, where did the name come from? I have no answer regarding Jeter, but I think I have the Olive part figured out. My great-great-great-grandfather Mark Barker married Gilley (Olive) in Wake County. Hers was a rather large family in Wake, and a history has been published. This weekend along these lines I was reviewing some information I got from a cousin, Mark Victor Barker, Junior, in Florida a few years ago. He is descended from Brinkley Barker, brother of my own Hosea Jackson Barker. Their parents were Mark Barker and Gilley Olive. Mark in Florida had never been able to go further back than that. I had not been able to know Gilley's last name for sure, so we were able to help one another out. I got motivated to do some of my own research based on his notes. Gilley's parents were Burrel (John, James, William) Olive and Polly Johnson. As I was researching on line I found a digitized copy of Burrel's family Bible, which lists several family members. Gilley is listed there, along with other names that in turn show up in the names of her children, siblings of Hosea and Brinkley. I was delighted to find this information and confirm my suppositions and solve the mystery of where the Olive name came from in our family.