2000
#2,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.99
Uncommon Last name
Olivas
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from oliva, meaning "olive tree," referring to someone who lived near an olive grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,037 Americans carry the last name Olivas. That puts it at #1,830 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,554 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olivas 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
22K
1 in 15,554
Census rank
#1,830
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,217 bearers of the surname Olivas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1830th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olivas
The surname Olivas originates from Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "oliva," meaning "olive." This name likely originated during the Middle Ages in regions of Spain known for olive cultivation, such as Andalusia or Catalonia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Olivas surname can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century document recording the distribution of land and properties after the Reconquista of Seville in 1248. This document mentions individuals with the surname Olivas who received land grants in the region.
In the 14th century, the Olivas surname appears in various historical records, such as the Crónica de Fernando IV, which mentions a knight named Martín Olivas who fought in the siege of Gibraltar in 1310.
During the 15th century, the Olivas family gained prominence in the Kingdom of Aragon. Rodrigo Olivas (1450-1520) was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Huesca and played a significant role in the Spanish Inquisition.
In the 16th century, the Olivas surname spread throughout the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure was Juan de Olivas (1498-1572), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico and later became the governor of Tlaxcala.
Another notable person with the Olivas surname was Miguel de Olivas (1620-1685), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Olivas surname also spread to other parts of the world, including the Philippines. In the 18th century, Ignacio Olivas (1725-1798) was a prominent Spanish missionary who established several missions in the Philippines and played a significant role in the Christianization of the region.
Throughout history, the Olivas surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, military, religion, and the arts. Despite its widespread distribution, the name has maintained its connection to its Spanish roots and the symbolism of the olive tree.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olivas
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Olivas 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 Olivas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.6% · 17,405
- White6.9% · 1,326
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 208
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 113
- Two or more races0.6% · 111
- Black or African American0.3% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olivas
Olivas 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
#1,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,106
+3,942 bearers (+24.4%)
Per 100,000 6.82
Rank movement Up 268 places
2020
#1,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,217
-889 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 6.43
Rank movement Down 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,053 | 16,164 | 5.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,785 | 20,106 | 6.82 | +3,942 bearers (+24.4%) | Up 268 places |
| 2020 | #1,830 | 19,217 | 6.43 | -889 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 45 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 Olivas 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 | #1,785 | #1,830 | -2.5% |
| Count | 20,106 | 19,217 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.82 | 6.43 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olivas bearers went from 20,106 to 19,217 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,785 to #1,830.
FAQ
Olivas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olivas?
Name Census estimates that about 22,037 living Americans carry the surname Olivas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,554 residents.
How common is Olivas?
Olivas ranks #1,830 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,217 people with the surname Olivas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,037), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Olivas.
Has Olivas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olivas went from 20,106 recorded bearers to 19,217. That is a decrease of 889 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,785 to #1,830.
What does the Census say about the background of Olivas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Olivas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (17,405 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olivas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.6%), White (6.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Olivas (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 Olivas mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from oliva, meaning "olive tree," referring to someone who lived near an 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 Olivas (6.43 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 Olivas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.