2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Olszta
A surname derived from the Polish word for "alder tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Olszta. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olszta 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Olszta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olszta, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olszta
The surname OLSZTA has its origins in Poland, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old Polish word "olsza," which means "alder tree." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near an alder grove or worked with alder wood.
The earliest recorded instances of the name OLSZTA can be found in medieval Polish records from the 13th and 14th centuries. Some of these early records include references to individuals such as Jan Olszta, a landowner from the village of Olsztyn in the Warmian region, mentioned in a document from 1287.
Another notable figure bearing the OLSZTA surname was Mikołaj Olszta, a respected scholar and professor of theology at the University of Krakow in the 15th century. He was born in the town of Olsztyn around 1420 and made significant contributions to the study of canon law during his lifetime.
In the 16th century, the OLSZTA name appeared in various records from the Poznań region of western Poland. One notable individual was Bartłomiej Olszta, a wealthy merchant and landowner who was documented in the town of Środa Wielkopolska in the mid-1500s.
The name OLSZTA has also been associated with several places in Poland, such as the town of Olsztyn, which was formerly known as Olszta or Olsztyn Pruski. This town, located in the Warmian-Masurian region, may have played a role in the surname's origin and distribution.
A prominent figure bearing the OLSZTA surname in more recent history was Józef Olszta, a Polish military officer and politician who lived from 1863 to 1939. He served in the Polish Legions during World War I and later became a member of the Polish Parliament after Poland regained its independence.
While the OLSZTA surname is not as common as some other Polish surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries. Its connection to the alder tree and its early roots in medieval Poland make it a unique and intriguing surname with a strong regional identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olszta
Among Census respondents with the surname Olszta, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Olszta 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 Olszta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olszta
Olszta appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,126 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,126 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 Olszta 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 | #148,347 | #147,221 | 0.8% |
| Count | 111 | 113 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olszta bearers went from 111 to 113 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,126 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #147,221.
FAQ
Olszta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olszta?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Olszta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Olszta?
Olszta ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Olszta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Olszta.
Has Olszta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olszta went from 111 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Olszta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olszta, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Olszta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olszta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Olszta (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 Olszta mean?
A surname derived from the Polish word for "alder tree". 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 Olszta (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 Olszta?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Olszta is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.