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

Olais, 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 Olais surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olais in America

Olais is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olais surname appeared 189 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Olais.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olais 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 Olais

The surname OLAIS is believed to have originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is derived from the Basque word "olaia," which means "walnut tree." The name likely originated as a topographical name, referring to someone who lived near or owned land with walnut trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname OLAIS date back to the 13th century in the regions of Navarre and Gipuzkoa. In medieval records, the name appears with various spellings, such as "Olaiz," "Olays," and "Olays." These variations reflect the linguistic diversity of the Basque Country and the lack of standardized spelling in earlier times.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname OLAIS was Juan Olais, a prominent merchant and landowner from Pamplona, Navarre, who lived in the late 15th century. Records from the city archives mention his involvement in trade and real estate transactions during that period.

In the 16th century, the name OLAIS appears in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, suggesting that some individuals with this surname may have been persecuted or investigated during the religious upheavals of that era.

Another notable OLAIS was Pedro Olais de Amarante, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous voyage around the world in the early 16th century. De Amarante was born in the late 15th century and is believed to have perished during the expedition, though the exact date and circumstances of his death are uncertain.

In the 17th century, the OLAIS surname can be found in records from the Basque regions of Labourd and Lower Navarre, which were then part of the Kingdom of France. One notable individual from this period was Domingo Olais, a Basque merchant and shipowner based in Bayonne, who was involved in the maritime trade between France and Spain.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, individuals with the surname OLAIS can be found in various parts of Spain, particularly in the Basque provinces, as well as in areas of Latin America, likely due to Spanish emigration and colonization.

It's important to note that while the surname OLAIS has its roots in the Basque region, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the walnut-rich landscapes of northern Spain and southwestern France, where the name first emerged as a topographical identifier.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olais

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

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

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

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