Olushola
A Nigerian name meaning "Wealth is gratifying".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Olushola. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Olushola today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olushola births was 1989 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olushola. 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 Olushola. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1989
6 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,845
Tracked since 1982
Census
Olushola in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 332 people with the first name Olushola, which placed it at #27,518 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#27,518
National first-name rank
People counted
332
332 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
98.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olushola
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Olushola is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and White (0.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Olushola described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Olushola at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American98.2% · 326
- Two or more races1.2% · 4
- White0.3% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Popularity
Olushola: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Olushola from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Olushola remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Olushola 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 Olushola 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 Olushola
Olushola is a name of Yoruba origin from southwestern Nigeria. The name is a combination of two words, "Olu" meaning "lord" or "owner" and "shola" meaning "wealth" or "riches". Together, the name Olushola can be interpreted as "the owner of wealth" or "lord of riches".
The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back centuries, and their naming traditions are deeply rooted in their beliefs and values. Names often carry significant meaning and serve as a reflection of the hopes and aspirations of parents for their children.
While the exact origin of the name Olushola is difficult to trace, it has been in use among the Yoruba people for generations. It is a name that carries a sense of prosperity and abundance, which may have been particularly meaningful in a society where wealth and success were highly valued.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olushola can be found in the 18th century, when it was borne by Olushola Akinola, a prominent Yoruba chief and warrior. Akinola played a significant role in the defense of his community against invading forces, and his name has been passed down through generations as a symbol of strength and resilience.
In the 19th century, Olushola Akinnubi, a respected Yoruba scholar and educator, made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Yoruba language and culture. Akinnubi's work helped to ensure that the rich heritage of the Yoruba people, including their naming traditions, would be passed down to future generations.
Another notable figure who bore the name Olushola was Olushola Akorede, a prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who lived in the early 20th century. Akorede was known for his generosity and commitment to improving the lives of those around him, embodying the spirit of wealth and abundance associated with his name.
In more recent times, Olushola Odunsi, a Nigerian artist and sculptor, has gained international recognition for his powerful and evocative works that explore themes of identity, culture, and spirituality. Odunsi's art has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and his name has become synonymous with creativity and artistic expression.
Olushola Saraki, a Nigerian politician and member of the Saraki political dynasty, has also made a significant impact on Nigerian politics and governance. Saraki has held various leadership positions and has been a vocal advocate for democratic reforms and social progress in Nigeria.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Olushola throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of Yoruba culture and heritage.
People
Olushola + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olushola 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
Olushola: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olushola?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olushola 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Olushola a common name?
We classify Olushola as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olushola most popular?
The single biggest year for Olushola was 1989, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olushola is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Olushola in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 332 people with the name Olushola, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #27,518 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Olushola in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Olushola?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Olushola on both sides of the split. Of the 336 people counted with this name, 184 were male (54.8%) and 152 were female (45.2%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Olushola?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Olushola is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and White (0.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Olushola most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Olushola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (326 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Olushola in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olushola a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olushola 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 Olushola still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olushola 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 Olushola 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.
How many people have Olushola as a first name?
You can see how many Americans are named Olushola on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.