2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Olgren
A surname of Swedish origin meaning "ancient laurel tree" or "olive grove".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Olgren. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olgren 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Olgren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olgren
The surname OLGREN has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Swedish words "olg" and "ren", which translate to "wave" and "pure" respectively. The name was initially associated with individuals who resided near bodies of water, particularly in the coastal regions of southern Sweden.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the OLGREN surname can be traced back to a 1678 parish register from the town of Ystad, where a man named Nils Olgren was listed as a resident. This suggests that the name had already been established in this area by the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the OLGREN name began to appear in historical records from the city of Malmö. A notable figure from this period was Johan Olgren (1732-1804), a prominent merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.
As the centuries progressed, the OLGREN surname spread across Sweden and neighboring regions. In the early 19th century, a branch of the family settled in the Finnish town of Vaasa, where they became successful in the fishing industry. One of the most notable members of this branch was Erik Olgren (1819-1892), a renowned shipbuilder who established a thriving shipyard in the town.
Another notable figure in the history of the OLGREN surname was Anna Olgren (1865-1947), a Swedish author and journalist who was actively involved in the women's rights movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her writings and activism played a significant role in advancing gender equality in Sweden.
In the 20th century, the OLGREN surname gained international recognition through the accomplishments of Karl Olgren (1910-1985), a Swedish-American physicist who made significant contributions to the development of nuclear energy. He was part of the Manhattan Project during World War II and later served as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
Throughout its history, the OLGREN surname has maintained a strong presence in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Finland. While its origins can be traced back to coastal regions, the name has since spread across various parts of these countries, with individuals bearing the surname excelling in diverse fields such as business, literature, and science.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olgren
Among Census respondents with the surname Olgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Olgren 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 Olgren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 117
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olgren
Olgren 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,211 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,211 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 169 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 Olgren 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 | #141,140 | #141,309 | -0.1% |
| Count | 118 | 121 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olgren bearers went from 118 to 121 (+2.5% change). The surname moved down 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #141,309.
FAQ
Olgren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olgren?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Olgren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Olgren?
Olgren ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Olgren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Olgren.
Has Olgren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olgren went from 118 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 3 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Olgren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are 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 Olgren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olgren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), 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 Olgren (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 Olgren mean?
A surname of Swedish origin meaning "ancient laurel tree" or "olive grove". 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 Olgren (0.04 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 are called Olgren?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Olgren at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.