2000
#4,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,859
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.91
Rare Last name
Olmstead
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an elm tree or in a place abundant with elms.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,980 Americans carry the last name Olmstead. That puts it at #4,382 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,169 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olmstead 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
9.0K
1 in 38,169
Census rank
#4,382
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,831 bearers of the surname Olmstead in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4382nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmstead, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olmstead
The surname Olmstead is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words 'olm' meaning 'elm tree' and 'stede' meaning 'place' or 'homestead'. It is believed to have originated in England during the early medieval period, specifically in the regions of East Anglia and the West Country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olmstead can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Olmosted' in reference to a settlement in Norfolk. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that area by the 11th century.
In the 12th century, the name appeared in various records as 'Olmetead', 'Olmestede', and 'Olmstede', indicating its evolution over time. It is thought that these variations were influenced by regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
Notable historical figures bearing the surname Olmstead include William Olmstead (c. 1510-1570), a prominent merchant and landowner in Suffolk, and Richard Olmstead (1603-1667), one of the founders of the town of Norwalk, Connecticut, in the American colonies.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Olmstead was also associated with several place names in England, such as Olmsted in Kent and Olmstead Green in Essex, further reinforcing its connection to the Old English 'olm' and 'stede' roots.
Other notable individuals with the surname Olmstead include Denison Olmsted (1791-1859), an American scientist and educator who made significant contributions to the study of meteorology and astronomy, and Marlin Olmsted (1809-1875), a prominent lawyer and politician from New York who served as a U.S. Representative.
Frederic Law Olmsted (1822-1903), the renowned landscape architect and designer of many famous urban parks, including Central Park in New York City, is perhaps the most well-known figure to bear the Olmstead surname. His work had a lasting impact on the field of landscape architecture and urban planning.
While the surname Olmstead has evolved over time and spread to various regions, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it was closely tied to the Old English words for 'elm tree' and 'homestead'.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olmstead
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmstead, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Olmstead 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 Olmstead surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 7,099
- Two or more races3.8% · 299
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 270
- Black or African American0.7% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olmstead
Olmstead 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
#4,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,021
+162 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Down 249 places
2020
#4,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,831
-190 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Up 48 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,181 | 7,859 | 2.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,430 | 8,021 | 2.72 | +162 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 249 places |
| 2020 | #4,382 | 7,831 | 2.62 | -190 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 48 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 Olmstead 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 | #4,430 | #4,382 | 1.1% |
| Count | 8,021 | 7,831 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.72 | 2.62 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olmstead bearers went from 8,021 to 7,831 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 48 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,430 to #4,382.
FAQ
Olmstead surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olmstead?
Name Census estimates that about 8,980 living Americans carry the surname Olmstead. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,169 residents.
How common is Olmstead?
Olmstead ranks #4,382 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,831 people with the surname Olmstead. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,980), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Olmstead.
Has Olmstead become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olmstead went from 8,021 recorded bearers to 7,831. That is a decrease of 190 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,430 to #4,382.
What does the Census say about the background of Olmstead?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmstead, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Olmstead in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (7,099 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olmstead appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Olmstead (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 Olmstead mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an elm tree or in a place abundant with elms. 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 Olmstead (2.62 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 have the last name Olmstead?
You can see how many people have the last name Olmstead on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.