Olliemae
A feminine name of English origin, possibly a combination of "Ollie" and "Mae".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Olliemae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Olliemae today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olliemae births was 1918 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olliemae. 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 Olliemae. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1918
6 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2021 SSA rank
#14,794
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Olliemae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Olliemae from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 6 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
Olliemae 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 Olliemae 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 Olliemae
The name Olliemae is a relatively modern combination of the traditional English names Oliver and Mae. While Oliver has its roots in the Old French name Oliveir, which itself derives from the Latin word olivarius, meaning "olive tree worker" or "olive planter," Mae is a shortened form of the name Mary, originating from the Hebrew name Miryam.
The earliest recorded use of the name Olliemae can be traced back to the late 19th century in the United States, particularly in the Southern states. It was likely formed as a blend of the two names Oliver and Mae, with the latter often serving as a middle name or a diminutive form of Mary.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Olliemae was Olliemae Grigsby (1895-1982), an African American educator and civil rights activist from Arkansas. She played a significant role in desegregating public schools in her home state and was a prominent figure in the NAACP.
Another notable Olliemae was Olliemae Swango (1920-2010), a Choctaw potter and artist from Oklahoma. Her work was instrumental in preserving and promoting the traditional pottery-making techniques of the Choctaw Nation, and her pieces are held in several museum collections.
In the realm of music, Olliemae Stephens (1922-2013) was an American blues singer and guitarist from Mississippi. She performed alongside renowned musicians such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and was a respected figure in the Chicago blues scene.
Moving to the literary world, Olliemae Sauer (1909-1988) was an American writer and poet from Texas. Her works often explored themes of nature, rural life, and the experiences of women in the American Southwest.
Finally, Olliemae Broussard (1923-2004) was a Louisiana-based cook and restaurateur who played a significant role in popularizing Cajun cuisine. Her restaurant, Olliemae's Cajun Kitchen, was a beloved institution in Lafayette, Louisiana, and her recipes helped preserve the region's culinary heritage.
While the name Olliemae may not have a long historical lineage, it has been borne by several influential individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from education and civil rights to art, music, literature, and culinary traditions.
People
Olliemae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olliemae 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
Olliemae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olliemae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olliemae 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Olliemae a common name?
We classify Olliemae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olliemae most popular?
The single biggest year for Olliemae was 1918, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olliemae 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 Olliemae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olliemae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olliemae 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 Olliemae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olliemae 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 Olliemae 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 have the name Olliemae?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.