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

Olstad, 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 Olstad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olstad in America

Olstad is the 29198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olstad surname appeared 811 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 Olstad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olstad 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 Olstad

The surname OLSTAD is of Norwegian origin, originating in the 18th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "Olav" and "stadr," meaning "homestead of Olav." It is believed to have originated in the western regions of Norway, particularly in the areas surrounding the village of Olstad in Akershus county.

The earliest known record of the name OLSTAD can be traced back to the late 1700s in the parish records of Ullensaker, Akershus. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Peder Olstad, born in 1782, who was a farmer in the village of Olstad.

In the 19th century, the name OLSTAD began to spread beyond the confines of Akershus county as families migrated to other parts of Norway. The surname can be found in historical records from various regions, including Bergen, Trondheim, and Oslo.

One notable individual with the surname OLSTAD was Hans Olstad (1823-1902), a prominent Norwegian politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) and played a significant role in the drafting of the Norwegian Constitution of 1814.

Another well-known figure was Ingrid Olstad (1875-1962), a pioneering Norwegian educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Norway and was actively involved in the Norwegian women's suffrage movement.

In the 20th century, the OLSTAD surname gained recognition internationally. One example is Knut Olstad (1915-1994), a Norwegian-American author and historian who wrote extensively about Norwegian immigration to the United States.

Additionally, the name OLSTAD has been associated with various place names throughout Norway, such as Olstadåsen, a hill in Ullensaker, and Olstadveien, a street in Oslo named after the Olstad family.

As for literary references, the surname OLSTAD is mentioned in the works of Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, who included characters with this name in his novels depicting rural life in Norway during the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olstad

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

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

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

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