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

Olivarez, 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 Olivarez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olivarez in America

Olivarez is the 3660th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olivarez surname appeared 9,720 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Olivarez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olivarez 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 Olivarez

The surname Olivarez is of Spanish origin, originating from the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "oliva," meaning "olive," and likely referred to someone who cultivated or traded olives.

The earliest recorded instances of the Olivarez surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in the areas around the cities of Seville and Cordoba, where olive cultivation was prevalent. It is possible that the name may have been initially attributed to individuals or families involved in the olive oil industry.

In the 14th century, records show the Olivarez name appearing in the "Libro Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a medieval manuscript that documented land ownership and taxation in the Kingdom of Castile. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname held landholdings or were associated with estates during that time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Olivarez surname was Juan de Olivarez, a 15th-century Spanish soldier who fought in the Reconquista, the campaign to expel the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula. He was born around 1420 and served under the command of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile.

During the 16th century, the Olivarez surname gained prominence in Spain and its colonies. Gaspar de Olivarez, born in 1587, was a Spanish nobleman and statesman who served as the chief minister to King Philip IV of Spain. He played a significant role in shaping Spanish policy during the Thirty Years' War and the Golden Age of Spanish literature.

In the 17th century, Alonso de Olivarez, born in 1612, was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led expeditions into modern-day Texas and New Mexico, establishing several missions and settlements in the region.

Another notable individual was María de Olivarez, a 16th-century Spanish writer and poet who was part of the literary circle in Granada. Her collection of poetry, published in 1582, was widely acclaimed and contributed to the development of Spanish Renaissance literature.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Olivarez surname spread to various parts of the Americas, particularly in Mexico, where it is still prevalent today. Over time, the name also underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Olivares and Olivárez, but the core meaning and origin remained the same.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olivarez

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

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

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

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