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

Olivier, 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 Olivier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olivier in America

Olivier is the 5438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olivier surname appeared 6,400 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 Olivier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olivier 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 Olivier

The surname Olivier is of French origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French given name "Olivier," which itself comes from the Germanic name "Odolvriz." This name is composed of the elements "od" meaning wealth or heritage, and "frid" meaning peace.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olivier appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Olivier in the county of Lincolnshire, England.

In the 12th century, the name Olivier was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. It is believed to have been introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, as many Norman families settled in various parts of the country.

One notable historical figure with the surname Olivier was François Olivier (1497-1560), a French mathematician and philosopher who served as the Chancellor of France during the reign of King Henry II. Another was Sir Walter Olivier (1505-1568), an English soldier and diplomat who served as the Lord Deputy of Ireland during the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Olivier was also found in the records of the Dutch East India Company, as a number of Dutch settlers bearing this surname migrated to various colonies around the world, including South Africa and Indonesia.

Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) was a renowned English actor and director, widely regarded as one of the greatest performers of the 20th century. He won multiple Academy Awards and was knighted for his contributions to the performing arts.

Théodore Olivier (1793-1853) was a French naturalist and entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of insects, particularly beetles. His work on the classification and description of species was influential in the field of entomology.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the surname Olivier, showcasing its French origins and its historical presence in various parts of Europe and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olivier

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

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

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

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