2000
#15,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,808
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Olden
Derived from a place name or from the Old English "ealda," meaning "old," referring to an elderly person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,142 Americans carry the last name Olden. That puts it at #15,152 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,016 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olden 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Olden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,016
Census rank
#15,152
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,868 bearers of the surname Olden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15152nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olden, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Two or More Races (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olden
The surname Olden is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "alden," which means "aged" or "old one." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive name, likely given to someone who was elderly or had a venerable appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Aldene." This suggests that the surname was already in use during the medieval period. The Olden name is also found in various medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 13th century.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including "Olden," "Oulden," and "Owlden." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling that were common during that time period. One notable individual from this era was Thomas Olden, a prominent merchant from London who was born in 1520 and died in 1588.
The Olden surname has been associated with several place names in England, such as Olden in Cheshire and Olden Chapelry in Lancashire. These places may have influenced the development of the surname or been named after individuals bearing the Olden name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Olden. One example is Sir John Olden (1618-1682), an English politician and lawyer who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1666. Another notable figure was Thomas Olden (1737-1808), an American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from New Jersey.
Other individuals of note include William Olden (1786-1859), a prominent banker and politician from New Jersey, and Ralph Olden (1823-1900), an English cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club in the mid-19th century. Additionally, Henry Olden (1856-1920) was a British playwright and actor known for his works in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras.
The Olden surname has a rich history rooted in the English language and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, politicians, soldiers, and artists. Its origins as a descriptive name reflecting age or venerability have given it a unique character and significance within the realm of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olden
Among Census respondents with the surname Olden, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Two or More Races (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Olden 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 Olden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.2% · 1,012
- Black or African American35.2% · 657
- Two or more races7.2% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olden
Olden 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
#14,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,014
+206 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 256 places
2020
#15,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,868
-146 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 403 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,005 | 1,808 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,749 | 2,014 | 0.68 | +206 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 256 places |
| 2020 | #15,152 | 1,868 | 0.62 | -146 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 403 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 Olden 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 | #14,749 | #15,152 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,014 | 1,868 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.62 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olden bearers went from 2,014 to 1,868 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 403 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,749 to #15,152.
FAQ
Olden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olden?
Name Census estimates that about 2,142 living Americans carry the surname Olden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,016 residents.
How common is Olden?
Olden ranks #15,152 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,868 people with the surname Olden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Olden.
Has Olden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olden went from 2,014 recorded bearers to 1,868. That is a decrease of 146 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,749 to #15,152.
What does the Census say about the background of Olden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olden, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Two or More Races (7.2%). 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 Olden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.2% (1,012 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.2%), Black (35.2%), Two or More Races (7.2%). 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 Olden (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 Olden mean?
Derived from a place name or from the Old English "ealda," meaning "old," referring to an elderly person. 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 Olden (0.62 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 have the surname Olden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.