2000
#42,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 483
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Oland
A surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the Danish island of Olando.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 578 Americans carry the last name Oland. That puts it at #45,684 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 593,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oland 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
578
1 in 593,001
Census rank
#45,684
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
504
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 504 bearers of the surname Oland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45684th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oland, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oland
The surname OLAND is of Swedish origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Swedish island of Öland, located in the Baltic Sea off the southeastern coast of Sweden. The name may have been initially adopted by individuals who hailed from or had a connection to this island.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the OLAND surname can be found in the Swedish Census of 1530, where it appeared as "Olandt." This spelling variation likely stemmed from the island's name, which was commonly written as "Oland" or "Olandt" during that era.
In the 17th century, the OLAND surname gained prominence when Lars Oland, a Swedish merchant and ship owner, established a successful trading business in Stockholm. Born in 1642, Lars Oland played a significant role in the city's maritime commerce, and his descendants continued to carry the family name forward.
Another notable figure bearing the OLAND surname was Johan Oland, a Swedish military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). Johan Oland, born in 1602, was recognized for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield, earning him a place in Swedish military history.
In the 19th century, the OLAND name appeared in the records of the Swedish town of Kalmar, where a prominent family of merchants and landowners carried the surname. One of the most notable members of this family was Axel Oland (1820-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the town's development.
The OLAND surname also found its way to North America, with Swedish immigrants bringing the name to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest documented cases was that of Erik Oland, who arrived in New Sweden (present-day Delaware) in 1638, becoming one of the first Swedish settlers in the region.
In Canada, the OLAND name gained prominence through the Oland Brewery, founded by John Oland (1799-1870) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1867. The brewery became a successful enterprise, and the Oland family played a significant role in the Canadian brewing industry for generations.
Throughout history, the OLAND surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, military personnel, landowners, and entrepreneurs, all with ties to the Swedish island that gave the name its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oland
Among Census respondents with the surname Oland, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Oland 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 Oland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 445
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 29
- Two or more races3.6% · 18
- Black or African American1.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oland
Oland 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
#44,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 478
-5 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 2,583 places
2020
#45,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 504
+26 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 812 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,289 | 483 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,872 | 478 | 0.16 | -5 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 2,583 places |
| 2020 | #45,684 | 504 | 0.17 | +26 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 812 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 Oland 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 | #44,872 | #45,684 | -1.8% |
| Count | 478 | 504 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.17 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oland bearers went from 478 to 504 (+5.4% change). The surname moved down 812 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,872 to #45,684.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Oland
FAQ
Oland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oland?
Name Census estimates that about 578 living Americans carry the surname Oland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 593,001 residents.
How common is Oland?
Oland ranks #45,684 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 504 people with the surname Oland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (578), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Oland.
Has Oland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oland went from 478 recorded bearers to 504. That is an increase of 26 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #44,872 to #45,684.
What does the Census say about the background of Oland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oland, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Oland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (445 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Oland (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 Oland mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the Danish island of Olando. 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 Oland (0.17 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 many Americans have the surname Oland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.