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

Olave, 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 Olave surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olave in America

Olave is the 41038th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olave surname appeared 531 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 Olave.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olave 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 Olave

The surname Olave has its origins in Spain, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Spanish word "oliva," which means olive tree or olive. This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with people who lived near olive groves or were involved in the cultivation or trade of olives.

In the 13th century, the name appears in several historical documents from the region of Andalusia in southern Spain. One notable reference is found in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Behetrias), which was a compilation of records and privileges granted to certain towns and villages during the reign of Alfonso X, also known as Alfonso the Wise (1221-1284).

The first known bearer of the surname Olave was Pedro Olave, a nobleman from the city of Seville who lived in the late 12th century. He is mentioned in the "Crónica General de España" (General Chronicle of Spain), a historical work written in the 13th century that chronicles the history of the Iberian Peninsula.

Another notable figure with the surname Olave was Fernán Olave, a military commander who served under King Fernando III of Castile (1199-1252) during the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. Fernán Olave played a significant role in the conquest of the city of Córdoba in 1236.

In the 16th century, the Olave family had established themselves as prominent landowners and merchants in the city of Seville. One member of this family, Juan Olave (1525-1592), was a renowned navigator and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Americas and the Pacific Ocean.

The surname Olave also spread to other parts of Spain and the Spanish colonies in the Americas. In the late 18th century, José Olave y Arrieta (1743-1803) was a prominent military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Chile from 1795 to 1798.

Over time, variations of the spelling emerged, such as Olabe, Olaví, and Olavide, but the core meaning and origin remained rooted in the Spanish word "oliva" and its connection to olive trees or olive cultivation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olave

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

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

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

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