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

Oltean, 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 Oltean surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oltean in America

Oltean is the 76768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oltean surname appeared 250 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 Oltean.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oltean 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 Oltean

The surname Oltean has its origins in Romania, dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Romanian word "olt," which means "river" or "valley," referring to the region along the Olt River in southern Romania. The name is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, identifying individuals who lived near or along the Olt River or its surrounding valleys.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oltean surname can be found in the historical documents of the Principality of Wallachia, a medieval Romanian state. These records mention several individuals bearing the name in the 16th and 17th centuries, often in connection with land ownership or official positions within the principality.

Historically, the Oltean surname has been associated with various place names in Romania, particularly those derived from the word "olt." For instance, the town of Olteni, located in the Olt County, was likely a place of origin for some families bearing this surname. Similarly, the village of Olteniul, in the Covasna County, may have contributed to the spread of the name.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Oltean surname. One such figure was Ion Oltean (1835-1900), a Romanian politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice in the late 19th century. Another prominent Oltean was Victor Oltean (1923-2008), a Romanian writer and literary critic known for his contributions to Romanian literature and literary criticism.

Other notable individuals with the Oltean surname include:

1. Nicolae Oltean (1885-1946), a Romanian general who played a crucial role in World War II and the defense of Bessarabia.
2. Radu Oltean (born 1952), a former Romanian footballer who represented the national team in the 1970s.
3. Gheorghe Oltean (born 1945), a Romanian mathematician and academic known for his work in functional analysis and operator theory.
4. Mihai Oltean (born 1976), a Romanian computer scientist and professor specializing in evolutionary algorithms and machine learning.
5. Ilie Oltean (1902-1983), a Romanian poet and translator who was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time.

While the Oltean surname has its roots in Romania, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance and connection to the Olt River region of Romania remain an integral part of its etymology and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oltean

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

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

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

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