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

Olivo, 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 Olivo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olivo in America

Olivo is the 3412th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olivo surname appeared 10,483 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Olivo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olivo 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 Olivo

The surname Olivo is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "olivo" meaning "olive tree." It is believed to have originated in the regions of Italy known for olive cultivation, such as Tuscany, Lazio, and Umbria, during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Olivo can be traced back to the 13th century in various Italian municipalities and records. One notable mention is found in the "Libro delle Portate" (Book of Taxes) of the city of Bologna, dated 1285, where the name Olivo is listed among taxpayers.

In the 14th century, the surname Olivo appears in the records of the Republic of Venice, where a merchant named Giovanni Olivo is mentioned in a trade agreement with the city of Genoa in 1341. This suggests that the surname had already spread to other parts of Italy by this time.

During the Renaissance period, the name Olivo gained prominence with several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Gian Paolo Olivo (1474-1537), an Italian architect and sculptor who worked on several notable projects, including the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

Another distinguished bearer of the surname was Girolamo Olivo (1550-1625), a Venetian philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of optics and the development of the telescope.

In the 17th century, the Olivo family established themselves in the Kingdom of Naples, where they were recognized as part of the nobility. One prominent member was Giuseppe Olivo (1632-1705), a military commander who served in the Neapolitan army during the War of the Spanish Succession.

The surname Olivo also found its way to other parts of Europe, such as Spain and France, where it was adapted to local spellings like Olivó and Ollivier, respectively. In France, the name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Provence and Languedoc, where olive cultivation was an important agricultural activity.

Throughout history, the surname Olivo has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, trade, artistry, and military service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olivo

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

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

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