2000
#10,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,812
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Oller
A Catalan occupational surname referring to a potter or one who makes or sells ceramic jars and pots.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,852 Americans carry the last name Oller. That puts it at #11,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,180 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oller 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
2.9K
1 in 120,180
Census rank
#11,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,487 bearers of the surname Oller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oller, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oller
The surname Oller originated in Spain and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "ollero," which means potter or maker of earthenware vessels. The earliest known records of the name date back to the region of Aragon, where it was common among potters and ceramicists.
During the Middle Ages, the Oller family established themselves as skilled artisans, crafting pottery and ceramics for noble households and religious institutions. Their wares were highly prized for their quality and intricate designs. The name appears in several medieval documents, including the records of the Kingdom of Aragon from the 13th century.
One notable figure bearing the Oller surname was Juan Oller, a renowned potter from the city of Valencia in the 15th century. His exquisite ceramic works were celebrated throughout the region, and some of his pieces can still be found in museums and private collections today.
As the Oller family spread across Spain and into neighboring regions, the name underwent variations in spelling, including Ollero, Olleros, and Ollers. These variations often reflected regional dialects and cultural influences.
In the 16th century, the Oller surname gained prominence in Catalonia, where a branch of the family became influential landowners and patrons of the arts. Miquel Oller y Rabassa (1679-1754), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Barcelona, was a significant figure of his time and contributed greatly to the city's cultural and economic development.
Another notable individual was José Oller y Ramos (1839-1908), a Puerto Rican painter and artist widely regarded as one of the founders of the Impressionist movement in the Caribbean. His vibrant landscapes and depictions of Puerto Rican life garnered international acclaim.
The Oller surname also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonial era, with families settling in regions such as Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. One prominent figure was Narciso Oller y Martí (1846-1930), a Puerto Rican novelist and writer who is considered a pioneer of the Realist literary movement in Latin American literature.
Throughout its rich history, the Oller surname has been carried by artists, craftsmen, merchants, and intellectuals, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscapes of Spain, Latin America, and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oller
Among Census respondents with the surname Oller, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Oller 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 Oller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.5% · 1,953
- Hispanic or Latino14.5% · 361
- Two or more races3.1% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oller
Oller appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,800
-12 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 810 places
2020
#11,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,487
-313 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 713 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,473 | 2,812 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,283 | 2,800 | 0.95 | -12 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 810 places |
| 2020 | #11,996 | 2,487 | 0.83 | -313 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 713 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 Oller 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 | #11,283 | #11,996 | -6.3% |
| Count | 2,800 | 2,487 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 0.83 | -12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oller bearers went from 2,800 to 2,487 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 713 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,283 to #11,996.
FAQ
Oller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oller?
Name Census estimates that about 2,852 living Americans carry the surname Oller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,180 residents.
How common is Oller?
Oller ranks #11,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,487 people with the surname Oller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,852), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Oller.
Has Oller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oller went from 2,800 recorded bearers to 2,487. That is a decrease of 313 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,283 to #11,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Oller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oller, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Oller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (1,953 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.5%), Hispanic (14.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Oller (2000, 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 Oller mean?
A Catalan occupational surname referring to a potter or one who makes or sells ceramic jars and pots. 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 Oller (0.83 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 share the surname Oller?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.