Oleta
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Spanish name "Loleta".
Name Census estimates that about 830 living Americans carry the first name Oleta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Oleta today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oleta births was 1920 (216 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oleta. 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 Oleta is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Oletas were born before 1962.
People living today
830
~ 1 in 412,957 Americans
Peak year
1920
216 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,137
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Oleta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oleta from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 1,674 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oleta 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 Oleta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oletas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas recorded the most babies named Oleta, while Virginia, Nebraska, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 186 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oleta
The name Oleta has its origins in the Latin language, derived from the feminine form of the word "oletus," which means "little oil." It's believed to have emerged during the medieval period, particularly in regions where Latin was widely spoken or studied, such as parts of Italy, France, and Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oleta can be traced back to the 12th century, appearing in a historical document from the city of Verona, Italy. The document referred to a woman named Oleta Brunelli, who was a member of a prominent noble family during that era.
In the 13th century, the name Oleta gained some recognition in religious circles, with a nun by the name of Oleta di Montefalco (1268-1308) becoming known for her piety and charitable works. She was later canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
During the Renaissance period, the name Oleta saw a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the artistic and literary circles of Italy. One notable figure from this time was Oleta Piccolomini (1504-1568), an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts, who supported and commissioned works from renowned artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo.
In the 17th century, Oleta Valeria (1620-1687), an Italian philosopher and writer, gained recognition for her treatises on ethics and metaphysics, which were widely read and discussed within academic circles of the time.
As the name spread beyond its Latin roots, it found its way into other cultures and languages. In the 18th century, Oleta Kovalevskaya (1745-1828), a Russian mathematician and educator, made significant contributions to the field of calculus and helped pave the way for women in academia.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Oleta, showcasing its diverse cultural and linguistic roots, as well as its enduring presence across various eras and fields of endeavor.
People
Oleta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oleta 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
Oleta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oleta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 830 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oleta 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 412,957 US residents.
Is Oleta a common name?
We classify Oleta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5,472 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oleta most popular?
The single biggest year for Oleta was 1920, when 216 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oleta is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oleta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oleta 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.
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.