2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Olascuaga
A Spanish surname originating in the Basque region, likely derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Olascuaga. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olascuaga 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Olascuaga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olascuaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olascuaga
The surname Olascuaga is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to have originated in the medieval era, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century.
One theory suggests that the name Olascuaga is derived from the Basque words "ola" meaning "meadow" or "pasture" and "ascua" meaning "ember" or "spark." This combination could indicate a connection to a particular location or occupation related to farming or metalworking.
Another hypothesis proposes that the name is a combination of the Basque words "ola" and "zuga" or "zugatz," which translates to "tree" or "wood." This interpretation could suggest an association with forestry, carpentry, or a specific wooded area.
Historically, the Olascuaga surname has been recorded in various ancient documents and manuscripts from the Basque region. One notable mention is found in the 14th-century "Códice de Navarra," a collection of legal codes and records from the Kingdom of Navarre.
Among the earliest known individuals bearing the Olascuaga surname was Juan de Olascuaga, a merchant from the town of San Sebastián, who was documented in the late 15th century. Another early record includes María Olascuaga, a landowner from the village of Rentería, mentioned in a property deed from the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, Pedro Olascuaga was a prominent figure in the Basque whaling industry, serving as a ship captain and navigator. His voyages took him to various parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
During the 18th century, Ignacio Olascuaga was a notable scholar and linguist who contributed to the preservation and study of the Basque language. He authored several works on Basque grammar and etymology.
In the 19th century, Juana Olascuaga was a celebrated painter and artist from the city of Bilbao, known for her vivid landscapes and portraiture.
Throughout history, variations of the name's spelling have included Olascuaga, Olascuaga, Olazcoaga, and Olazcoaga, among others, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolutions within the Basque region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olascuaga
Among Census respondents with the surname Olascuaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Olascuaga 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 Olascuaga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.5% · 106
- White2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olascuaga
Olascuaga appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-8 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,508 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 8,508 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 Olascuaga 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 | #140,157 | #148,665 | -6.1% |
| Count | 119 | 111 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olascuaga bearers went from 119 to 111 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 8,508 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #148,665.
FAQ
Olascuaga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olascuaga?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Olascuaga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Olascuaga?
Olascuaga ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Olascuaga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Olascuaga.
Has Olascuaga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olascuaga went from 119 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Olascuaga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olascuaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) 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 Olascuaga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olascuaga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.5%), White (2.7%), 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 Olascuaga (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 Olascuaga mean?
A Spanish surname originating in the Basque region, likely derived from a place name. 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 Olascuaga (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Olascuaga?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.