2000
#9,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,255
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Olmsted
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Olmstead, derived from Old English meaning "elm place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,645 Americans carry the last name Olmsted. That puts it at #9,741 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,034 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olmsted 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
3.6K
1 in 94,034
Census rank
#9,741
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,179 bearers of the surname Olmsted in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9741st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmsted, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olmsted
The surname Olmsted originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "olm" and "stede," which together mean "place of the elm trees." This suggests that the name likely originated as a place name referring to a location where elm trees were abundant.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Olmestedeu." This entry indicates that the name was already in use during the time of the Norman Conquest and the subsequent compilation of the Domesday Book.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Olmestead, Olmestede, and Olmsted. These variations reflect the evolution of language and regional dialects in different parts of England.
One notable figure bearing the Olmsted surname was Charles Olmsted, an English-born settler who arrived in Massachusetts in the 17th century. He was among the early Puritan colonists and helped establish the town of Newtown (now Cambridge) in 1630.
Another prominent individual was Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), the renowned landscape architect who co-designed Central Park in New York City and the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. His contributions to landscape architecture and urban planning had a lasting impact on the American landscape.
In the realm of literature, Meriwether Olmsted (1892-1956) was an American author and playwright who wrote several novels and plays, including "The Golden Goose" and "The White Steed."
Robert Olmsted (1619-1693) was an early settler in Connecticut and is recognized as one of the founders of the town of Norwalk. His descendants went on to play influential roles in the development of the region.
Lastly, William Olmsted (1805-1889) was a prominent figure in the early history of Nebraska. He served as the first mayor of Omaha and played a crucial role in the establishment and growth of the city.
While the surname Olmsted has its roots in England, it has since spread across the globe, with notable individuals bearing the name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olmsted
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmsted, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Olmsted 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 Olmsted surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 2,927
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 102
- Two or more races3.2% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olmsted
Olmsted 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
#10,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,197
-58 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 867 places
2020
#9,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,179
-18 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 341 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,215 | 3,255 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,082 | 3,197 | 1.08 | -58 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 867 places |
| 2020 | #9,741 | 3,179 | 1.06 | -18 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 341 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 Olmsted 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 | #10,082 | #9,741 | 3.4% |
| Count | 3,197 | 3,179 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.06 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olmsted bearers went from 3,197 to 3,179 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 341 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,082 to #9,741.
FAQ
Olmsted surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olmsted?
Name Census estimates that about 3,645 living Americans carry the surname Olmsted. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,034 residents.
How common is Olmsted?
Olmsted ranks #9,741 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,179 people with the surname Olmsted. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,645), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Olmsted.
Has Olmsted become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olmsted went from 3,197 recorded bearers to 3,179. That is a decrease of 18 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,082 to #9,741.
What does the Census say about the background of Olmsted?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmsted, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Olmsted in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (2,927 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olmsted appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Olmsted (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 Olmsted mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Olmstead, derived from Old English meaning "elm place." 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 Olmsted (1.06 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 Olmsted?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.