2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ollech
A spelling variation of the German surname Oellich, originating from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Ollech. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ollech 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Ollech in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ollech, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ollech
The surname Ollech finds its origins in the Germanic regions of central Europe, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "olloch," which translates to "oak tree" or "oak forest." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked with oak trees.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical records from the region of Anhalt in modern-day Germany. In this manuscript, dated around 1190, a landowner named Olrich Ollech is mentioned, indicating the name's presence in the area during that time.
The Ollech surname has also been traced to the town of Ollech, located in the present-day state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This small village likely took its name from the nearby oak forests, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its arboreal origins.
Notable individuals bearing the Ollech name include Johannes Ollech (1546-1623), a German Protestant theologian and philosopher who played a significant role in the Reformation. Another prominent figure was Margaretha Ollech (1680-1756), a renowned midwife and herbalist from the town of Ollech, whose expertise was highly sought after throughout the region.
In the 16th century, the Ollech family had established itself in the city of Cologne, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One member, Matthias Ollech (1520-1587), was a respected merchant and guild member, while his son, Christoph Ollech (1555-1632), was a prominent lawyer and legal scholar.
As the Ollech name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Oellech, Öllech, and Ollich. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic differences. Notably, the Oellich family of Silesia (now part of Poland) claimed descent from the Ollech lineage, with records dating back to the 15th century.
While the Ollech surname may have originated in Germany, it has since been found in various parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, and even as far as the United States, where descendants of German immigrants have carried on the family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ollech
Among Census respondents with the surname Ollech, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ollech 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 Ollech surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ollech
Ollech appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,569 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 Ollech 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 | #157,234 | #148,665 | 5.4% |
| Count | 103 | 111 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ollech bearers went from 103 to 111 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #148,665.
FAQ
Ollech surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ollech?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Ollech. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Ollech?
Ollech ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Ollech. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ollech.
Has Ollech become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ollech went from 103 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Ollech?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ollech, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Ollech in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ollech appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Ollech (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 Ollech mean?
A spelling variation of the German surname Oellich, originating from a place name. 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 Ollech (0.04 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 people are called Ollech?
You can see how many people have the surname Ollech on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.