2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Oloyede
A Yoruba surname meaning "the child/owner/bearer of honors, royalty, and greatness."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 467 Americans carry the last name Oloyede. That puts it at #54,637 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 733,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oloyede 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Oloyede with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
467
1 in 733,949
Census rank
#54,637
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
407
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 407 bearers of the surname Oloyede in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54637th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oloyede, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oloyede
The surname OLOYEDE originated from the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria, Africa. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th century, during the height of the Oyo Empire, which was one of the most powerful West African kingdoms at the time.
The name OLOYEDE is derived from two Yoruba words, "Olo" and "Iyed??". "Olo" means "owner" or "proprietor", while "Iyed??" means "a place of rest" or "a resting place". Therefore, the name OLOYEDE can be interpreted as "the owner of a resting place" or "the proprietor of a resting place".
In the early days of the Oyo Empire, individuals were often given names based on their occupations, locations, or notable events that occurred during their birth. It is possible that the first person to bear the name OLOYEDE was either the owner or caretaker of a resting place, such as an inn or a traveler's lodge.
While there are no known historical records or manuscripts that specifically mention the name OLOYEDE, some variations of the name can be found in old Yoruba texts and oral traditions. For instance, the name "Oloyede" has been spelled as "Oluiyed??" or "Oluiyede" in some ancient Yoruba writings.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name OLOYEDE can be traced back to the late 17th century, when an individual named Oloyede Ajayi was a prominent trader and merchant in the city of Oyo-Ile, the capital of the Oyo Empire.
Another notable person with the surname OLOYEDE was Oloyede Alawode, a renowned warrior and military commander who lived in the 18th century. He played a significant role in defending the Oyo Empire against invading forces from neighboring kingdoms.
In the 19th century, a man named Oloyede Adeyemi was a respected chief and advisor to the Alaafin (the ruler) of the Oyo Empire. He was known for his wisdom and diplomatic skills in resolving conflicts between various Yoruba communities.
During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the OLOYEDE surname began to spread beyond the Oyo region as people migrated to other parts of Nigeria and the world. One notable figure from this period was Oloyede Akinjide, a successful businessman and philanthropist who established several schools and hospitals in his hometown.
In more recent times, Oloyede Abayomi was a prominent Nigerian writer and poet who gained recognition for his works that explored Yoruba culture and traditions. He was born in 1932 and passed away in 2001.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oloyede
Among Census respondents with the surname Oloyede, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Oloyede 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 Oloyede surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.6% · 381
- Two or more races2.9% · 12
- White2.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oloyede
Oloyede 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
#85,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 220
+111 bearers (+101.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 55,707 places
2020
#54,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 407
+187 bearers (+85.0%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 30,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #85,049 | 220 | 0.07 | +111 bearers (+101.8%) | Up 55,707 places |
| 2020 | #54,637 | 407 | 0.14 | +187 bearers (+85.0%) | Up 30,412 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 Oloyede 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 | #85,049 | #54,637 | 35.8% |
| Count | 220 | 407 | 85.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.14 | 94.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oloyede bearers went from 220 to 407 (+85.0% change). The surname moved up 30,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #85,049 to #54,637.
FAQ
Oloyede surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oloyede?
Name Census estimates that about 467 living Americans carry the surname Oloyede. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 733,949 residents.
How common is Oloyede?
Oloyede ranks #54,637 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 407 people with the surname Oloyede. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (467), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Oloyede.
Has Oloyede become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oloyede went from 220 recorded bearers to 407. That is an increase of 187 (+85.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #85,049 to #54,637.
What does the Census say about the background of Oloyede?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oloyede, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Oloyede in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (381 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oloyede appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%), White (2.0%). 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 Oloyede (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 Oloyede mean?
A Yoruba surname meaning "the child/owner/bearer of honors, royalty, and greatness." 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 Oloyede (0.14 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 common is the surname Oloyede?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Oloyede on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.