2000
#9,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,063
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Oliveri
Derived from the Italian word "oliveto," referring to an olive grove or a person who cultivated olive trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,634 Americans carry the last name Oliveri. That puts it at #9,768 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oliveri 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Oliveri with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,319
Census rank
#9,768
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,169 bearers of the surname Oliveri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9768th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oliveri, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oliveri
The surname Oliveri has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. It is derived from the Latin word "olivarius," which means "olive grower" or "olive merchant." The name first emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century, when olive cultivation was a significant industry in Sicily.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oliveri can be found in the "Archivio di Stato di Palermo," which contains documents dating back to the 13th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Oliveri living in various parts of Sicily, such as Palermo, Messina, and Catania.
The name Oliveri has also been associated with several notable historical figures. One of the earliest was Giovanni Oliveri, a Sicilian nobleman who lived in the 14th century and was known for his contributions to the development of the olive oil industry in the region.
In the 16th century, the name Oliveri gained prominence with the birth of Vincenzo Oliveri (1508-1582), a renowned Sicilian painter and architect who worked on several churches and palaces in Palermo and other cities.
Another notable figure was Pietro Oliveri (1679-1757), a Sicilian priest and scholar who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Sicily. His works, such as "Memorie istoriche della città di Palermo," are considered valuable sources of information about the island's past.
During the 19th century, the Oliveri surname was associated with Gaetano Oliveri (1817-1893), a Sicilian politician and lawyer who played a significant role in the unification of Italy and served as a member of the Italian parliament.
In more recent times, the name Oliveri has been carried by individuals such as Renzo Oliveri (1925-2008), an Italian actor and comedian known for his work in films and television shows, and Salvatore Oliveri (born 1945), an Italian businessman and philanthropist who has made significant contributions to various charitable organizations.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Oliveri who have left their mark on history. While the name may have originated in Sicily, it has since spread to various parts of Italy and other countries, reflecting the migration patterns of Sicilian families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oliveri
Among Census respondents with the surname Oliveri, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Oliveri 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 Oliveri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 2,776
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 220
- Two or more races2.4% · 77
- Black or African American2.0% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oliveri
Oliveri 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
#9,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,357
+294 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 73 places
2020
#9,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,169
-188 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,740 | 3,063 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,667 | 3,357 | 1.14 | +294 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 73 places |
| 2020 | #9,768 | 3,169 | 1.06 | -188 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 101 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 Oliveri 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 | #9,667 | #9,768 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,357 | 3,169 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.06 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oliveri bearers went from 3,357 to 3,169 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,667 to #9,768.
FAQ
Oliveri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oliveri?
Name Census estimates that about 3,634 living Americans carry the surname Oliveri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,319 residents.
How common is Oliveri?
Oliveri ranks #9,768 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,169 people with the surname Oliveri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,634), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Oliveri.
Has Oliveri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oliveri went from 3,357 recorded bearers to 3,169. That is a decrease of 188 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,667 to #9,768.
What does the Census say about the background of Oliveri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oliveri, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Oliveri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (2,776 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oliveri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Oliveri (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 Oliveri mean?
Derived from the Italian word "oliveto," referring to an olive grove or a person who cultivated olive trees. 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 Oliveri (1.06 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 Americans have the surname Oliveri?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.