Olek
A diminutive of the Slavic name Oleg, of Varangian origin.
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Olek. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Olek today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olek births was 2023 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olek. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Olek with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Olek. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
2023
9 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2023 SSA rank
#8,734
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Olek: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Olek from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 14 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Olek 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 Olek during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Olek
The name Olek is a diminutive form of the Slavic name Oleksy, which is derived from the Greek name Alexandros, meaning "defender of men." This name has its origins in ancient Greece and later spread throughout Europe and other regions through cultural diffusion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Olek can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Central and Eastern Europe. It was particularly popular among Polish and Ukrainian communities, where it was often associated with nobility and literary figures.
In the 15th century, Olek Sudymuntowicz was a prominent Polish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Polish-Teutonic War. He is mentioned in several historical accounts from that period.
Another notable figure with the name Olek was Olek Dowbor-Muśnicki (1873-1924), a Polish military officer and one of the leaders of the Polish Legions during World War I. He fought for Polish independence and is remembered as a national hero.
In the realm of literature, Olek Kuprin (1870-1938) was a renowned Russian novelist and short story writer. His works, such as "The Garnet Bracelet" and "The Duel," explored themes of love, honor, and the human condition.
The name Olek also appears in religious contexts. In the 16th century, Olek Brykczynski was a Polish Catholic priest and theologian who made significant contributions to the Counter-Reformation movement.
Moving forward in time, Olek Kulczyk (1950-2015) was a prominent Polish businessman and philanthropist. He amassed a considerable fortune through his investments and was known for his charitable endeavors, particularly in the field of education.
While these are just a few examples, the name Olek has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, military figures, writers, religious leaders, and entrepreneurs.
People
Olek + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olek 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
Olek: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olek?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olek 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 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Olek a common name?
We classify Olek as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 24 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olek most popular?
The single biggest year for Olek was 2023, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olek is about 6 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 Olek in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olek a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olek 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 Olek still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olek 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 Olek 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 people are named Olek?
Find out how many people have the name Olek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.