2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Olason
An Old Norse patronymic name derived from the given name Olaf.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Olason. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olason 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Olason in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olason, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olason
The surname Olason is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from the Old Norse and Swedish languages. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was initially derived from the father's given name, Ola or Ole, combined with the suffix "-son" which means "son of."
Olason can be traced back to the Viking era, when Scandinavian settlers and explorers began to establish communities across various regions, including parts of modern-day Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. The name was particularly prevalent in these areas during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olason can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives and literary works dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often mentioned individuals with the surname Olason, indicating its widespread use among the Icelandic population at the time.
In Sweden, the name Olason has roots that can be traced back to the 16th century. Historical records from this period, such as parish registers and local archives, contain mentions of individuals bearing the surname Olason.
One notable individual with the surname Olason was Björn Olason, a Swedish explorer and trader who lived in the 17th century. He is known for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his contributions to the exploration of Greenland and Svalbard.
Another prominent figure with the surname Olason was Thorbjörn Olason, an Icelandic scholar and clergyman who lived during the 18th century. He was renowned for his work in preserving and documenting Icelandic literature and folklore.
In Norway, the name Olason was often associated with the coastal regions and fishing communities. One example is Peder Olason, a Norwegian sailor and whaler who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He gained recognition for his voyages to the Arctic regions and his encounters with indigenous peoples.
The name Olason has also been found in historical records from Denmark, particularly in areas with strong ties to the Scandinavian cultural heritage. One notable Danish figure with this surname was Hans Olason, a merchant and shipowner who lived in the 17th century and played a role in the Danish-Norwegian trade with the Netherlands.
It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname may have varied slightly over time and across different regions. Variations such as Olesen, Olasson, and Ohlsson were also common, reflecting local linguistic traditions and regional dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olason
Among Census respondents with the surname Olason, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Olason 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 Olason surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olason
Olason 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,514 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 19,514 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Olason 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olason bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Olason surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olason?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Olason. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Olason?
Olason ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Olason. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Olason.
Has Olason become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olason went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Olason?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olason, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Olason in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olason appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Hispanic (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Olason (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 Olason mean?
An Old Norse patronymic name derived from the given name Olaf. 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 Olason (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 people share the surname Olason?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.