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

Olea, 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 Olea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olea in America

Olea is the 7492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olea surname appeared 4,447 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Olea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olea 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 Olea

The surname Olea has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "olivo," which means olive tree, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near an olive grove or worked with olives.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Olea surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, where a certain Pedro de Olea was mentioned in a document dated 1375. This indicates that the name was already in use during the late medieval period in Andalusia, a region known for its olive cultivation.

In the 16th century, the Olea surname gained prominence with the birth of the renowned Spanish painter, Pedro de Olea (1546-1642). Born in Seville, he was renowned for his religious paintings, which adorned many churches and convents throughout Spain.

Another notable figure bearing the Olea surname was Fray Diego de Olea (1570-1633), a Spanish Catholic priest and writer who authored several theological works, including "Tratado del Sacramento de la Penitencia" (Treatise on the Sacrament of Penance).

During the 17th century, the Olea surname spread to other parts of Spain, including the Basque Country. One prominent individual from this region was Juan de Olea y Zubizarreta (1623-1688), a Basque lawyer and historian who wrote extensively about the history and customs of the Basque people.

In the 19th century, the Olea surname gained international recognition with the birth of the Mexican writer and politician, Francisco Olea (1818-1890). He served as a member of the Mexican Congress and authored several novels and plays that explored the social and political issues of his time.

Over the centuries, the Olea surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Olea de Boedo (a municipality in the province of Palencia, Spain) and Olea de Sajambre (a village in the Picos de Europa mountain range, also in Spain). These place names may have influenced the spread and variations of the surname, although the exact connections are not always clear.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olea

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

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

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

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