2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Olwin
A surname possibly originating from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Olwin. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olwin 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Olwin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olwin
The surname OLWIN is of English origin, and it dates back to the medieval period, around the 13th century. It is thought to have originated in the county of Oxfordshire, where it was likely derived from the Old English words "ol" (meaning "elf" or "friendly spirit") and "win" (meaning "friend" or "protector").
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OLWIN can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. These rolls listed a certain Richard Olwin as a landowner in the village of Somerton, Oxfordshire.
In the 14th century, the name OLWIN appeared in various other historical documents, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, where a Thomas Olwin was recorded as a taxpayer in the town of Banbury, Oxfordshire.
The oldest known place name associated with the surname OLWIN is the village of Olwinton, located in Warwickshire. This village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landholders and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman invasion of England.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname OLWIN. One of the earliest recorded was Sir John Olwin (born c. 1320), who served as a knight and fought in the Hundred Years' War under King Edward III. Another prominent figure was William Olwin (1435-1503), a renowned scholar and theologian who studied at Oxford University and later became the Bishop of Lincoln.
During the 16th century, the OLWIN surname gained recognition through the work of Thomas Olwin (1510-1564), a prominent English writer and translator who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. His most famous work was a translation of the Bible into English, which was widely circulated among the common people.
In the 17th century, the name OLWIN was associated with Samuel Olwin (1622-1688), a successful merchant and landowner who amassed a considerable fortune through his trade ventures. He was also known for his philanthropic efforts, having donated a significant portion of his wealth to various charitable causes.
Another notable figure from the 18th century was Elizabeth Olwin (1740-1820), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in England. Her innovative teaching methods and emphasis on providing quality education for women were considered groundbreaking for that era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olwin
Among Census respondents with the surname Olwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Olwin 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 Olwin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olwin
Olwin 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-11 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,649 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 21,649 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Olwin 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olwin bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Olwin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olwin?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Olwin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Olwin?
Olwin ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Olwin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Olwin.
Has Olwin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olwin went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Olwin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%). 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 Olwin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olwin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%). 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 Olwin (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 Olwin mean?
A surname possibly originating from a place name in England. 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 Olwin (0.03 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 Olwin?
Find out how common the surname Olwin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.