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

Olivet, 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 Olivet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olivet in America

Olivet is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olivet surname appeared 177 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Olivet.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olivet 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 Olivet

The surname Olivet has its origins in France, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "olivete," meaning a small olive grove or orchard. This surname was likely initially given to someone who lived near or worked in an olive orchard.

Olivet is also the name of several small towns and villages in various regions of France, such as Olivet in the department of Loiret and Olivet in the department of Mayenne. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname as people often adopted the names of the places they were from or associated with.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Olivet can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a collection of medieval charters from the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille, dating back to the 12th century. This document contains references to individuals with the surname Olivet, indicating its use during that time period.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean Olivet (c. 1310-1380) was a French theologian and canon lawyer who served as the Chancellor of the University of Paris. He was a prominent scholar and author of several works on canon law and theology.

Another historical figure with the surname Olivet was Pierre Olivet (1682-1768), a French scholar and author who wrote extensively on the works of Cicero and other classical writers. He was a member of the Académie Française and is known for his translations and commentaries on ancient texts.

In the 18th century, Pierre-Joseph Olivet (1725-1789) was a French grammarian and author who published several works on the French language, including a renowned treatise on French prosody. He was also a member of the Académie Française and played a significant role in the development of French linguistic studies.

The surname Olivet has also been associated with various places and locations throughout France. For instance, the Château d'Olivet is a historic castle located in the commune of Olivet, near the city of Orléans. This castle dates back to the 11th century and has undergone several renovations and expansions over the centuries.

While the surname Olivet has French origins, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the olive groves and villages of France, where it emerged as a distinct surname with a rich historical heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olivet

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

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

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

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