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

Ols, 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 Ols surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ols in America

Ols is the 84748th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ols surname appeared 221 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 Ols.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ols 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 Ols

The surname Ols is believed to have originated in Scandinavia, primarily in Sweden and Norway, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "olr," which translates to "forearm" or "cubit," suggesting a possible connection to occupations involving manual labor or craftsmanship.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ols can be found in the Norwegian census records from the 16th century, where it was spelled as "Olsen." This variation likely emerged as a patronymic name, meaning "son of Ol," with the suffix "-sen" indicating the familial relationship.

In Sweden, the name Ols has been documented in various historical records, including parish records and military rolls. One notable individual bearing this surname was Nils Olsson (1655-1728), a Swedish nobleman and military officer who served as the Governor of Kalmar County.

The Ols surname also appears in some medieval Danish records, such as the Jutland Diplomatic Codex from the 13th century, where it was written as "Olæs." This suggests that the name may have had a presence in Denmark during that time period.

Another significant figure with the surname Ols was Hans Olsen (1490-1557), a Norwegian humanist scholar and Lutheran reformer who played a crucial role in translating the Bible into the Danish-Norwegian language.

In the Netherlands, the name Ols has been found in several historical documents, sometimes spelled as "Olfs" or "Olffs." One example is Dirk Olfs (born circa 1550), a renowned painter from Delft who was known for his landscapes and cityscapes.

While the Ols surname is not as common as some other Scandinavian surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval era and has been associated with individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, including the military, academia, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ols

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

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

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

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