Olar
Possibly a variant of the Romanian name Olaru, related to "olar" meaning potter.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Olar. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Olar today is around 92 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olar births was 1913 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olar. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Olar is about 92 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Olars were born before 1944.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Olar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1913
15 babies that year
Average age
92
years old
1944 SSA rank
#4,425
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Olar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Olar from the 1880s through to the 1940s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 95 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Olar by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Olar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Olars live
Origin
Meaning and history of Olar
The given name Olar has its origins in the Slavic languages, specifically in the Sorbian language spoken by the Slavic minority in the eastern parts of Germany. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 10th to 12th centuries. Olar is derived from the Sorbian word "olara," which means a maker or seller of oil, indicating that the name was likely originally an occupational surname before becoming a first name.
Although its exact origins are obscure, the name Olar is thought to have been used in the regions of Lusatia, where the Sorbian people resided. It is possible that the name was also used in neighboring areas of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic, where Slavic languages and cultures held sway during that period.
There are no known references to the name Olar in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, historical records from the late medieval period in the regions of Lusatia and Saxony have documented instances of individuals bearing the name Olar.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Olar dates back to the 14th century. Olar Hansmann, a merchant and landowner from the town of Bautzen (now in eastern Germany), is mentioned in municipal records from the year 1372. Another notable figure was Olar Kretschmer, a local magistrate who lived in the town of Görlitz (also in eastern Germany) during the late 15th century.
In the 17th century, Olar Fuchs (1601-1672) was a prominent Sorbian scholar and writer who contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of the Sorbian language and culture. His works remain important sources for understanding the history and traditions of the Sorbian people.
Another individual of note was Olar Smoler (1672-1741), a Sorbian theologian and linguist who played a crucial role in translating religious texts into the Sorbian language, making them accessible to the local population.
In the 19th century, Olar Löbel (1812-1891) was a notable Sorbian poet and writer whose works captured the struggles and aspirations of the Sorbian people during a period of cultural revival and national awakening.
While the name Olar may have been more prevalent in the past, especially among the Sorbian population, it has become less common in recent times, with fewer individuals bearing this name. However, its historical significance and linguistic roots remain an important part of the cultural heritage of the Slavic communities in eastern Germany and neighboring regions.
People
Olar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olar as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Olar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olar going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Olar a common name?
We classify Olar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 254 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olar most popular?
The single biggest year for Olar was 1913, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olar is about 92 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Olar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olar a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olar in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Olar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olar in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Olar can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Olar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.