2000
#14,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,920
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Olesen
A patronymic surname of Danish and Norwegian origin, meaning "son of Ole."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,165 Americans carry the last name Olesen. That puts it at #15,020 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olesen 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
2.2K
1 in 158,316
Census rank
#15,020
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,888 bearers of the surname Olesen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15020th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olesen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olesen
The surname Olesen is of Danish origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was originally derived from the given name of the father or ancestor. In this case, the name Olesen comes from the Danish personal name Ole, which is a variant of the Old Norse name Óláfr or Áleifr.
The name Óláfr is composed of two elements: the Old Norse word "anu" meaning "ancestor" and "leifr" meaning "descendant" or "heir." This suggests that the name Olesen may have its roots in a lineage or family line of significant standing or importance in ancient Danish society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olesen can be found in the Danish Census of 1660, where it appears as a prominent surname in the region of Jutland. It is likely that the name had already been established in this area for several generations prior to this record.
In the 13th century, a prominent Danish nobleman named Olesen Galt is mentioned in historical records as a landowner and influential figure in the court of King Valdemar II. This suggests that the name Olesen was associated with social status and wealth during this time period.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Olesen appears in various historical documents, including parish records and legal proceedings, across different regions of Denmark. This indicates that the name had spread and become more prevalent throughout the country.
Notable individuals with the surname Olesen include:
1. Olesen Bager (c. 1450-1515), a Danish clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Viborg from 1497 until his death.
2. Olesen Oxe (c. 1520-1586), a Danish statesman and naval admiral who played a significant role in the Northern Seven Years' War against Sweden.
3. Olesen Munk (c. 1550-1621), a Danish landowner and military commander known for his involvement in the Kalmar War against Sweden in the late 16th century.
4. Olesen Rosenkrantz (c. 1610-1675), a Danish nobleman and diplomat who served as the Danish ambassador to England and France during the reign of King Christian IV.
5. Olesen Adeler (c. 1670-1737), a Danish architect and military engineer who designed several notable buildings and fortifications in Copenhagen and other parts of Denmark.
Throughout its history, the surname Olesen has been associated with various place names and localities in Denmark, such as Olesen's Farm (Olesens Gård) and Olesen's Village (Olesens By), which further reinforces its deep roots in Danish culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olesen
Among Census respondents with the surname Olesen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Olesen 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 Olesen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 1,713
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 88
- Two or more races3.3% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olesen
Olesen 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
#14,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,988
+68 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 567 places
2020
#15,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,888
-100 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,314 | 1,920 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,881 | 1,988 | 0.67 | +68 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 567 places |
| 2020 | #15,020 | 1,888 | 0.63 | -100 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 139 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 Olesen 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 | #14,881 | #15,020 | -0.9% |
| Count | 1,988 | 1,888 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olesen bearers went from 1,988 to 1,888 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,881 to #15,020.
FAQ
Olesen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olesen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,165 living Americans carry the surname Olesen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,316 residents.
How common is Olesen?
Olesen ranks #15,020 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,888 people with the surname Olesen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,165), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Olesen.
Has Olesen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olesen went from 1,988 recorded bearers to 1,888. That is a decrease of 100 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,881 to #15,020.
What does the Census say about the background of Olesen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olesen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Olesen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (1,713 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olesen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Olesen (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 Olesen mean?
A patronymic surname of Danish and Norwegian origin, meaning "son of Ole." 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 Olesen (0.63 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 Olesen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.