2000
#10,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,963
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Olea
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from the word "olea," meaning "olive tree," likely indicating an ancestor's residence near olive groves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,737 Americans carry the last name Olea. That puts it at #7,726 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,357 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olea 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
4.7K
1 in 72,357
Census rank
#7,726
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,131 bearers of the surname Olea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7726th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olea
Among Census respondents with the surname Olea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Olea 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 Olea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.1% · 3,720
- White6.0% · 249
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 114
- Two or more races0.5% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olea
Olea 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
#7,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,447
+1,484 bearers (+50.1%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 2,542 places
2020
#7,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,131
-316 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,034 | 2,963 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,492 | 4,447 | 1.51 | +1,484 bearers (+50.1%) | Up 2,542 places |
| 2020 | #7,726 | 4,131 | 1.38 | -316 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 234 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 Olea 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 | #7,492 | #7,726 | -3.1% |
| Count | 4,447 | 4,131 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.38 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olea bearers went from 4,447 to 4,131 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,492 to #7,726.
FAQ
Olea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olea?
Name Census estimates that about 4,737 living Americans carry the surname Olea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,357 residents.
How common is Olea?
Olea ranks #7,726 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,131 people with the surname Olea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Olea.
Has Olea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olea went from 4,447 recorded bearers to 4,131. That is a decrease of 316 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,492 to #7,726.
What does the Census say about the background of Olea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Olea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (3,720 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.1%), White (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Olea (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 Olea mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from the word "olea," meaning "olive tree," likely indicating an ancestor's residence near olive groves. 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 Olea (1.38 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 common is the surname Olea?
You can see how many people are called Olea on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.