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

Olah, 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 Olah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olah in America

Olah is the 16265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olah surname appeared 1,773 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 Olah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olah 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 Olah

The surname OLAH originates from Hungary and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hungarian word "olah," which means "Vlach" or "Romanian." The Vlachs were an ethnic group that inhabited parts of the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkan Peninsula.

In the 13th century, the OLAH surname began appearing in various Hungarian records, often referring to individuals of Vlach or Romanian descent who had settled in the Kingdom of Hungary. One of the earliest known references to the name comes from a document dated 1292, which mentions a person named "Olah Petrus."

During the medieval period, the OLAH surname was commonly found in regions of present-day Romania, Transylvania, and parts of modern-day Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia. It was often associated with individuals engaged in pastoral activities, such as shepherding or livestock farming, which were traditional occupations of the Vlach people.

In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the OLAH surname was Nicolaus Olahus (1493-1568), a Hungarian Renaissance scholar, humanist, and diplomat who served as the Archbishop of Esztergom, the highest ecclesiastical position in the Kingdom of Hungary.

Another prominent figure was Emeric Olah (1470-1546), a Hungarian prelate and statesman who held the position of Archbishop of Esztergom from 1542 until his death. He played a significant role in the political and religious affairs of the Kingdom of Hungary during the tumultuous period of the Ottoman conquest.

In the 16th century, the OLAH surname appeared in various records across Central and Eastern Europe, including the "Urbaria" (land registers) of the Habsburg Monarchy. One example is the mention of a certain "Georgius Olah" in a document from 1568, referring to a landowner in the region of present-day Slovakia.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the OLAH surname continued to be found in various official records and documents across the former territories of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Habsburg Empire. Some notable bearers of the name from this period include Janos Olah (1638-1718), a Hungarian Catholic priest and writer, and Miklos Olah (1693-1768), a Hungarian nobleman and landowner.

Throughout its history, the OLAH surname has been associated with individuals of various professions and social standings, including clergy, academics, landowners, and members of the nobility. While the name originated from the Vlach or Romanian ethnic group, it eventually became widespread across Hungary and neighboring regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olah

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

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 Olah 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 Olah 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 Olah was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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