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

Olive, 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 Olive surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olive in America

Olive is the 6021st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olive surname appeared 5,712 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Olive.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olive 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 Olive

The surname Olive is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'olive', which referred to the olive tree or its fruit. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near an olive grove or had some association with the olive trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Olive can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, compiled in 1273. This document mentions a person named William Olive residing in the county at that time. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, which lists a John Olive as a taxpayer.

The surname Olive has been present in various parts of England over the centuries, with concentrations in regions such as Sussex, Kent, and Cornwall. Some variations in spelling include Olyve, Oliff, and Olyff, which were common in medieval records.

Olive is also found as a place name in certain areas of England. For instance, the village of Olive in Norfolk may have contributed to the surname's development in that region. Additionally, there are references to places like Olive Farm and Olive Hill in historical documents.

Notable individuals with the surname Olive throughout history include:

1. Peter Olive (c. 1560-1619), an English Puritan clergyman and controversialist.
2. Thomas Olive (c. 1600-1658), an English Puritan minister and member of the Westminster Assembly.
3. John Olive (1766-1837), an English engraver and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. Robert Olive (1785-1857), an English Wesleyan minister and author of several theological works.
5. Edward Olive (1843-1916), a British Army officer who served in the Anglo-Zulu War and the Second Boer War.

The surname Olive has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period in England. While originating as a descriptive name related to the olive tree or its fruit, it has since become a well-established surname with various spellings and geographical distributions across the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olive

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!