2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Olsan
A surname derived from a Turkish variant of the English surname "Olson."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Olsan. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olsan 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Olsan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olsan, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olsan
The surname OLSAN is believed to have originated in Scandinavia, specifically in Norway and Sweden. It is thought to have derived from the Old Norse word "olr," which means "ale" or "beer," combined with the suffix "-san" or "-sen," indicating a patronymic form, meaning "son of."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OLSAN can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, the name appears as "Olson" or "Olsson," which were likely earlier spellings of the same surname.
During the Viking Age, the name OLSAN may have been associated with individuals involved in the brewing or selling of ale, a popular beverage at the time. As the name spread across Scandinavia and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Olsson," "Olsen," and "Olson," reflecting local linguistic influences.
In the 16th century, records show a prominent Swedish family with the name OLSAN residing in the province of Dalarna. One notable member was Olof Olsan (1510-1578), a respected landowner and local leader in the region.
Another historical figure bearing the name OLSAN was Hans Olsan (1620-1698), a Norwegian merchant and ship owner from Bergen. He played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the 17th century.
In the 19th century, the name OLSAN gained recognition in the literary world with the Norwegian author and playwright Henrik Olsan (1825-1891). His works, which often explored rural life and themes of social justice, were widely celebrated in his home country.
Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name OLSAN in North America dates back to the late 18th century. Lars Olsan (1755-1832), a Norwegian immigrant, settled in the state of Pennsylvania and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.
Another notable figure was Ingrid Olsan (1860-1942), a Swedish-American educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and played a crucial role in promoting education for women in the Midwest region of the United States.
It is worth noting that the surname OLSAN has also been found in other regions, such as Iceland and Denmark, where it may have undergone further variations in spelling and pronunciation due to linguistic influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olsan
Among Census respondents with the surname Olsan, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Olsan 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 Olsan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 98
- Two or more races7.7% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olsan
Olsan 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-17 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,081 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-10 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 20,081 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 11,222 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 Olsan 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 | #133,048 | #144,270 | -8.4% |
| Count | 127 | 117 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olsan bearers went from 127 to 117 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 11,222 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #144,270.
FAQ
Olsan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olsan?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Olsan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Olsan?
Olsan ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Olsan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Olsan.
Has Olsan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olsan went from 127 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Olsan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olsan, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Olsan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olsan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Two or More Races (7.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%). 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 Olsan (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 Olsan mean?
A surname derived from a Turkish variant of the English surname "Olson." 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 Olsan (0.04 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 Olsan?
Find out how common the surname Olsan is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.