2000
#12,677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Olague
A Basque surname derived from the word "ola," meaning "ironworks" or "foundry," likely referring to an ironworker or founder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,011 Americans carry the last name Olague. That puts it at #11,474 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,834 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olague surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,834
Census rank
#11,474
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,626 bearers of the surname Olague in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11474th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olague, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olague
The surname Olague has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, with roots that can be traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Basque language, possibly stemming from the words 'ola,' meaning 'mill,' and 'agu,' meaning 'place,' suggesting it may have originally referred to someone who lived near a mill.
Historical records indicate that the earliest documented instances of the Olague surname can be found in the Spanish province of Álava, where variants such as Olagüe and Olague were used. Some of the earliest known bearers of this name include Juan Olague, who was mentioned in a land registry document from the village of Laguardia in 1387, and María Olague, recorded as a resident of the town of Vitoria in 1412.
While the name Olague does not appear in significant historical texts like the Domesday Book, which focused primarily on England, it can be found in various Spanish and Basque archives from the 15th century onwards. One notable individual with this surname was Pedro de Olague, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century alongside Hernán Cortés.
Throughout the centuries, the Olague name has been associated with several notable figures, including Juan de Olague (1545-1623), a Basque philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Salamanca, and Andrés de Olague (1690-1760), a Spanish military engineer who oversaw the construction of fortifications in various parts of the Spanish empire.
In the 19th century, Ignacio Olague (1801-1879) was a prominent Mexican politician and lawyer who served as a senator and governor of the state of Chihuahua. Another individual of note was Jesús Olague (1892-1971), a Mexican painter and muralist known for his contributions to the Mexican Muralist Movement.
While the Olague surname originated in the Basque region of Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries like Mexico, where it has a significant presence. Despite its global distribution, the name retains its distinctive Basque roots and continues to be associated with its rich historical and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olague
Among Census respondents with the surname Olague, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Olague bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Olague surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.9% · 2,386
- White7.2% · 189
- Black or African American0.9% · 24
- Two or more races0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olague
Olague appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,827
+589 bearers (+26.3%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 1,492 places
2020
#11,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,626
-201 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,677 | 2,238 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,185 | 2,827 | 0.96 | +589 bearers (+26.3%) | Up 1,492 places |
| 2020 | #11,474 | 2,626 | 0.88 | -201 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 289 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Olague surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,185 | #11,474 | -2.6% |
| Count | 2,827 | 2,626 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.88 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olague bearers went from 2,827 to 2,626 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,185 to #11,474.
FAQ
Olague surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olague?
Name Census estimates that about 3,011 living Americans carry the surname Olague. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,834 residents.
How common is Olague?
Olague ranks #11,474 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,626 people with the surname Olague. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,011), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Olague.
Has Olague become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olague went from 2,827 recorded bearers to 2,626. That is a decrease of 201 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,185 to #11,474.
What does the Census say about the background of Olague?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olague, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Olague in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (2,386 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olague appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.9%), White (7.2%), Black (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Olague (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Olague mean?
A Basque surname derived from the word "ola," meaning "ironworks" or "foundry," likely referring to an ironworker or founder. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Olague (0.88 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Olague?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Olague is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.