Olus
An Old Norse name meaning "ancestor" or "forefather".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Olus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Olus today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olus births was 1920 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olus. 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 Olus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1920
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1920 SSA rank
#4,150
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Olus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Olus from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, 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
Olus 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 Olus 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 Olus
The name Olus is an ancient one, with its origins tracing back to the ancient Greek language. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "olos," which means "whole" or "complete." This suggests that the name Olus may have been associated with ideas of wholeness, unity, or perfection.
In Greek mythology, Olus was the name of one of the Four Winds, specifically the personification of the southern wind. He was often depicted as a winged figure carrying a leather bag filled with winds. Olus and the other Wind deities were considered children of Astraeus and Eos, the gods of dusk and dawn, respectively.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Olus can be found in ancient Greek literature and historical records. One notable figure was Olus of Smyrna, a Greek historian who lived in the 3rd century BC. He is credited with writing a history of the Persian Wars, although his work has unfortunately been lost to time.
Another prominent individual with the name Olus was Olus of Tralles, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 6th century AD. He is known for his contributions to the field of geometry and his work on the concept of the infinite.
In the Middle Ages, the name Olus was rarely used, but it did appear in some historical records. One example is Olus of Dacia, a 13th-century philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris.
During the Renaissance period, the name Olus experienced a brief resurgence in popularity. One notable figure was Olus Petri, a Swedish reformer and theologian who lived in the 16th century. He played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Sweden.
Another individual with the name Olus from this era was Olus Celsus, an Italian humanist and scholar who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his translations of ancient Greek and Latin texts.
While the name Olus may not have been as widespread as some other ancient Greek names, it has left its mark on history through the individuals who bore it. From philosophers and historians to theologians and scholars, the name Olus has been associated with a diverse range of notable figures throughout the ages.
People
Olus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olus 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
Olus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olus 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 Olus a common name?
We classify Olus 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, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olus most popular?
The single biggest year for Olus was 1920, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olus 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 Olus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olus 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 Olus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olus 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 Olus 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 Olus as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Olus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.