2000
#4,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,835
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.90
Uncommon Last name
Olguin
A Spanish surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the town of Olguín, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,669 Americans carry the last name Olguin. That puts it at #3,431 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,373 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olguin 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
12K
1 in 29,373
Census rank
#3,431
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,176 bearers of the surname Olguin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3431st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olguin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olguin
The surname Olguin has its origins in the Spanish language and can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain. It is believed to have derived from the name of a small town or village called Olguín, located in the northern region of Asturias.
The earliest recorded instances of the Olguin surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the "Becerro de las Behetrías," a medieval text that catalogued the ownership of lands and estates in the Kingdom of Castile.
During the 15th century, the Olguin surname gained prominence as members of this family played significant roles in the military campaigns of the Reconquista, the lengthy struggle to drive out the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula. Pedro de Olguin, born in 1422, was a renowned soldier who fought alongside King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in the conquest of Granada.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Olguin name traveled across the Atlantic to the New World. In the 16th century, Juan de Olguin, born in 1508, was among the early Spanish settlers in Mexico, where he established a prosperous cattle ranch and contributed to the development of the region.
The Olguin surname also found its way to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. One notable figure was Manuel Olguin, born in 1678, who served as a high-ranking official in the Spanish East Indies government and played a crucial role in strengthening trade relations between the Philippines and Mexico.
In the 19th century, José María Olguin, born in 1812, was a prominent Mexican politician and writer who advocated for liberal reforms and the abolition of slavery. His work had a significant impact on the intellectual and political landscape of his time.
Throughout history, the Olguin surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, leaving their mark in various fields, from military service and exploration to politics and literature. While its origins can be traced back to a small village in northern Spain, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olguin
Among Census respondents with the surname Olguin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Olguin 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 Olguin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.5% · 9,213
- White7.4% · 749
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 102
- Two or more races0.5% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 40
- Black or African American0.2% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olguin
Olguin 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
#3,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,660
+2,825 bearers (+36.1%)
Per 100,000 3.61
Rank movement Up 841 places
2020
#3,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,176
-484 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 3.40
Rank movement Down 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,197 | 7,835 | 2.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,356 | 10,660 | 3.61 | +2,825 bearers (+36.1%) | Up 841 places |
| 2020 | #3,431 | 10,176 | 3.40 | -484 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 75 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 Olguin 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 | #3,356 | #3,431 | -2.2% |
| Count | 10,660 | 10,176 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.61 | 3.40 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olguin bearers went from 10,660 to 10,176 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,356 to #3,431.
FAQ
Olguin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olguin?
Name Census estimates that about 11,669 living Americans carry the surname Olguin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,373 residents.
How common is Olguin?
Olguin ranks #3,431 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,176 people with the surname Olguin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,669), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Olguin.
Has Olguin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olguin went from 10,660 recorded bearers to 10,176. That is a decrease of 484 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,356 to #3,431.
What does the Census say about the background of Olguin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olguin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Olguin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (9,213 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olguin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.5%), White (7.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Olguin (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 Olguin mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the town of Olguín, Spain. 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 Olguin (3.40 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 Olguin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.