Olas
A masculine Scandinavian name meaning "wave".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Olas. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Olas today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olas births was 1913 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olas. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Olas. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1913
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1913 SSA rank
#3,133
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Olas: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Olas 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 Olas during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Olas
The name Olas is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the North Germanic peoples during the Viking Age, spanning from around the 8th to the 11th century AD. It is derived from the Old Norse word "ǫlr," meaning "beer" or "ale," suggesting a connection to brewing or alcohol-related activities. This name was likely used among the Norse communities in Scandinavia, particularly in present-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olas can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval Icelandic literature, there are mentions of individuals named Olas. These sagas provide valuable insights into the cultural and historical context of the name during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Olas. One of the earliest recorded was Olas Haraldsson (c. 1070-1135), a Norwegian chieftain and landowner who played a significant role in the civil wars that erupted in Norway during the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Another prominent figure was Olas Engelbrektsson (c. 1390-1457), a Swedish rebel leader and farmer who led the Engelbrekt rebellion against the Danish-dominated Kalmar Union in the mid-15th century.
In the realm of literature, Olas Sirma (1813-1871) was a renowned Finnish poet and translator who made significant contributions to the development of the Finnish language and literature during the 19th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Olas Liljedahl (1857-1936), a Swedish violinist and composer who gained recognition for his compositions and performances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Moving forward in time, Olas Skogly (1907-1991) was a Norwegian engineer and inventor who played a pivotal role in the development of the modern ski binding, revolutionizing the sport of skiing. His innovations made skiing safer and more accessible to a wider audience.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Olas throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and societal developments across different regions and time periods.
People
Olas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olas 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
Olas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olas 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 - US residents.
Is Olas a common name?
We classify Olas as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olas most popular?
The single biggest year for Olas was 1913, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olas is about 0 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 Olas in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olas a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olas in the SSA data are male. 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 Olas still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olas 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 Olas 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 common is the name Olas?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Olas at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.