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

Olivia, 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 Olivia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olivia in America

Olivia is the 36736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olivia surname appeared 608 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 Olivia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olivia 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 Olivia

The surname Olivia is derived from the Latin word 'oliva', meaning olive or olive tree. It is believed to have originated in Italy, where olive cultivation has been an important agricultural activity for centuries. The name is thought to have first emerged as a surname during the Middle Ages, possibly as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked with olive trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Olivia can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medievale, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombardy region of Italy. This document, dated 1192, mentions an individual named Petrus Olivia, suggesting that the surname was already in use by that time.

In the 13th century, the surname Olivia appeared in various medieval records across Italy, such as the Statuti di Pisa (Statutes of Pisa) from 1286, which referred to a certain Guido Olivia. During this period, the name was also found in other parts of Europe, including Spain, where it was sometimes spelled as Oliva or Olivares.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Olivia was Giovanni Olivia, a 14th-century Italian jurist and professor of law at the University of Perugia. He was born around 1320 and authored several important legal texts that were widely studied during the Renaissance.

In the 15th century, the surname Olivia was associated with several prominent families in Italy, including the Olivia family of Genoa. This family produced several notable individuals, such as Agostino Olivia (1446-1524), a Genoese philosopher and diplomat who served as an ambassador to various European courts.

Another significant figure with the surname Olivia was Francisco de Olivia (1536-1598), a Spanish Jesuit missionary who played a crucial role in the evangelization efforts in South America during the 16th century. He is credited with establishing several missions and educational institutions in present-day Brazil and Paraguay.

During the 17th century, the surname Olivia gained prominence in France, particularly in the region of Provence. One noteworthy individual from this period was Pierre Olivia (1619-1684), a French playwright and poet who was a member of the Académie Française, the prestigious French literary institution.

In the 18th century, the surname Olivia was found across various parts of Europe, including Italy, Spain, France, and England. One notable figure was Antonio Olivia (1718-1786), an Italian painter and architect who designed several notable buildings in Turin and the surrounding regions.

As the centuries passed, the surname Olivia continued to be found in various countries, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges between different regions. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the name has become a part of the cultural fabric of many nations, with individuals bearing this surname contributing to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olivia

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Olivia, 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!