2000
#3,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,378
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.11
Uncommon Last name
Olivarez
A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Olivar, referring to an olive grove or olive tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,962 Americans carry the last name Olivarez. That puts it at #3,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,268 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olivarez 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
11K
1 in 31,268
Census rank
#3,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,559 bearers of the surname Olivarez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivarez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olivarez
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivarez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Olivarez 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 Olivarez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 8,633
- White7.6% · 722
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 93
- Two or more races0.4% · 43
- Black or African American0.4% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olivarez
Olivarez 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
#3,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,720
+1,342 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Up 236 places
2020
#3,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,559
-161 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 3.20
Rank movement Up 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,896 | 8,378 | 3.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,660 | 9,720 | 3.30 | +1,342 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 236 places |
| 2020 | #3,623 | 9,559 | 3.20 | -161 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 37 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 Olivarez 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 | #3,660 | #3,623 | 1.0% |
| Count | 9,720 | 9,559 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.30 | 3.20 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olivarez bearers went from 9,720 to 9,559 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,660 to #3,623.
FAQ
Olivarez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olivarez?
Name Census estimates that about 10,962 living Americans carry the surname Olivarez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,268 residents.
How common is Olivarez?
Olivarez ranks #3,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.20 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 9,559 people with the surname Olivarez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,962), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.20 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 Olivarez.
Has Olivarez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olivarez went from 9,720 recorded bearers to 9,559. That is a decrease of 161 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,660 to #3,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Olivarez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivarez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Olivarez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (8,633 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olivarez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (7.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Olivarez (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 Olivarez mean?
A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Olivar, referring to an olive grove or olive tree. 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 Olivarez (3.20 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 have the surname Olivarez?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.