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

Oliver, 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 Oliver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oliver in America

Oliver is the 264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oliver surname appeared 115,900 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 39 people would have the surname Oliver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oliver 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 Oliver

The surname OLIVER has its origins in England and is derived from the medieval Norman French name Olivier. This name is believed to have originated from the Old Germanic name Oliverius, which was a compound name formed from the elements "olf" meaning "ancestor's descendant" and "heri" meaning "army" or "warrior." The name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded use of the surname OLIVER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as Olivere and is found in various counties in England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Oxfordshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname OLIVER was also associated with several notable figures. One such figure was Oliver de Caux, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the invasion of England in 1066. Another was Oliver of Padua, an English scholar and theologian who lived in the 13th century and is known for his work on the Franciscan Order.

In later centuries, the surname OLIVER continued to be found throughout England and other parts of the British Isles. One notable bearer of the name was Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), the English military and political leader who served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 until his death.

Another prominent figure with the surname OLIVER was Isaac Oliver (c. 1565-1617), an English miniature painter who was highly regarded for his portrait miniatures during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname OLIVER was also associated with several literary figures. One such figure was Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774), an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet best known for his works "The Vicar of Wakefield" and "She Stoops to Conquer."

Additionally, the name OLIVER can be found in various place names throughout England, such as Oliver's Mount in Yorkshire, which was named after a person with the surname OLIVER who owned land in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oliver

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

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

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

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