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

Olofson, 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 Olofson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olofson in America

Olofson is the 43077th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olofson surname appeared 502 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Olofson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olofson 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 Olofson

The surname Olofson originated in Sweden and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic name, meaning "son of Olof." Olof is a Swedish form of the name Olav, which is derived from the Old Norse name Áleifr. The name Áleifr is composed of the elements "anu" meaning "ancestor" and "leifr" meaning "descendant" or "heir."

Olofson was initially prevalent in central and southern Sweden, particularly in the regions of Östergötland, Småland, and Värmland. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was common practice for Swedes to adopt hereditary surnames, often derived from their fathers' given names or locations. Consequently, the name Olofson became a widespread surname in these areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olofson can be found in the Älvsborgs Lösen, a medieval Swedish manuscript from the 14th century. The document mentions an individual named Olof Olofson, who was a landowner in the province of Västergötland.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname Olofson was Peder Olofson, a Swedish military commander who participated in the Northern Seven Years' War against Denmark. He was born in 1537 in the village of Gräsgård, Östergötland.

Another notable individual with the surname Olofson was Olof Olofson Stille, a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) in the 17th century. He was born in 1624 in the town of Vadstena, Östergötland, and played a significant role in the political affairs of his time.

In the 18th century, Johan Olofson Hjerpe, a Swedish poet and clergyman, gained recognition for his religious works. He was born in 1707 in the parish of Töreboda, Västergötland, and published several collections of hymns and sermons during his lifetime.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Olofson was Carl Olofson, a Swedish artist and painter active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1866 in the town of Huskvarna, Småland, he is best known for his landscape paintings depicting the Swedish countryside.

The surname Olofson continues to be prevalent in Sweden and among Swedish communities around the world. While it has undergone minor spelling variations over the centuries, such as Olofsson or Olufsson, its origins can be traced back to the Old Norse name Áleifr and the patronymic naming traditions of medieval Sweden.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olofson

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Olofson, please contact us.

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