Find out how popular the last name Ogilvie is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ogilvie.

Ogilvie, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ogilvie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ogilvie in America

Ogilvie is the 9510th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ogilvie surname appeared 3,418 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ogilvie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ogilvie to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ogilvie

The surname Ogilvie originates from Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic elements "og" meaning young, and "gille" meaning servant or lad, indicating that the name may have been a personal name or byname before becoming a hereditary surname.

The Ogilvie family is thought to have originated from the lands of Ogilvie, near Arbroath in Angus, Scotland. The name is also associated with the historic Ogilvie Castle, which was the ancestral seat of the Ogilvie clan. In the 13th century, the Ogilvies were prominent landowners and held significant influence in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ogilvie name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. The entry lists "Walter de Ogylville" as one of the vassals.

Sir Walter Ogilvy (c. 1360-1440) was a notable figure in the 15th century, serving as Lord High Treasurer of Scotland and playing a pivotal role in the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, where he commanded the vanguard of the royal army against the Lord of the Isles.

Another prominent Ogilvie was James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater (1663-1711), a Scottish nobleman and politician who served as Lord High Chancellor of Scotland and was a member of the Parliament of Scotland.

In the literary world, the name is linked to John Ogilvie (1733-1813), a Scottish poet and writer who is best known for his works "Rona, a Poem" and "An Essay on the Lyric Poetry of the Ancients."

Other notable individuals with the Ogilvie surname include Sir William Ogilvie (1736-1819), a Scottish inventor and civil engineer who patented several improvements to the process of bleaching linen and cotton, and William Ogilvie (1901-1989), a Scottish journalist and author who wrote extensively about Australia and the Pacific region.

The Ogilvie name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Ogylby, Ogilvy, and Ogilbie, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. Despite these variations, the name has maintained a strong presence in Scotland and has been carried by numerous influential figures throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ogilvie

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ogilvie.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ogilvie was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ogilvie has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ogilvie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ogilvie, please contact us.

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