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

Oliff, 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 Oliff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oliff in America

Oliff is the 48060th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oliff surname appeared 440 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Oliff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oliff 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 Oliff

The surname OLIFF has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ōlāf," which meant "olive tree." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near or worked with olive trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the OLIFF surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Olaf." This ancient record provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames in England during the 11th century.

As the name evolved over time, various spelling variations emerged, such as OLIFFE, OLYFFE, and OLYFF. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions in earlier periods.

In the 13th century, the OLIFF surname appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, which were administrative records of the county. This indicates that the name was well-established in that region during that time.

Notable historical figures bearing the OLIFF surname include:

1. Sir John Oliff (1547-1612), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. William Oliff (1683-1745), a prominent merchant and landowner in Colonial Virginia, whose estate, known as Oliff's Plantation, was located in what is now Fairfax County.

3. Mary Oliff (1756-1822), a British writer and poet who gained recognition for her collection of poems titled "Poetic Effusions" published in 1798.

4. Richard Oliff (1835-1917), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Savoy Theatre and the Royal School of Music.

5. Harriet Oliff (1870-1943), an American philanthropist and advocate for women's rights, who founded the Oliff Foundation to support educational initiatives for underprivileged children.

The OLIFF surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Oliff's Field in Warwickshire and Oliff's Green in Hertfordshire, further highlighting the geographical ties of this surname.

While the OLIFF name may have evolved and spread across different regions over the centuries, its Anglo-Saxon roots and connection to the olive tree remain an integral part of its historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oliff

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

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

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

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