2000
#57,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 333
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Oldman
An occupational surname referring to an elderly or aged man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 578 Americans carry the last name Oldman. 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 Oldman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Oldman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Oldman 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 Oldman, the largest self-reported group is White at 43.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (43.1%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oldman
The surname Oldman is of English origin, tracing back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place name that no longer exists, believed to have been situated in either Gloucestershire or Worcestershire. The name likely referred to an elderly man or someone who lived near an old man's dwelling.
Early records show variations in the spelling, such as Oldeman, Oldman, and Ouldman. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a Robert Oldeman is mentioned.
In the 14th century, the Oldman surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, where a John Oldeman is listed. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, referring to a Robert Oldman.
The Oldman surname has a notable presence in the historical records of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, indicating that these regions might have been the original homelands of those bearing this name.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Oldman surname is William Oldman, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1490. Another notable figure from the 16th century is John Oldman, a merchant from Bristol, born in 1520.
In the 17th century, a prominent Oldman was Robert Oldman, a landowner and magistrate from Worcestershire, born in 1625. He played a significant role in local affairs during the English Civil War.
The 18th century saw the birth of Thomas Oldman (1735-1808), a noted author and historian from Gloucestershire, who wrote extensively on the history of his county.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure was Sir Richard Oldman (1850-1932), a British industrialist and philanthropist from Worcestershire, who made significant contributions to the development of the region's industry and education.
Throughout history, the Oldman surname has been associated with various regions of England, particularly the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, where it has its roots. The name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including landowners, merchants, authors, and industrialists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oldman
Among Census respondents with the surname Oldman, the largest self-reported group is White at 43.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (43.1%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Oldman 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 Oldman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White43.3% · 218
- American Indian and Alaska Native43.1% · 217
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 33
- Black or African American5.6% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 5
- Two or more races0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oldman
Oldman 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
#55,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 370
+37 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 1,747 places
2020
#45,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 504
+134 bearers (+36.2%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 9,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,252 | 333 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,505 | 370 | 0.13 | +37 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 1,747 places |
| 2020 | #45,684 | 504 | 0.17 | +134 bearers (+36.2%) | Up 9,821 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 Oldman 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 | #55,505 | #45,684 | 17.7% |
| Count | 370 | 504 | 36.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.17 | 29.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oldman bearers went from 370 to 504 (+36.2% change). The surname moved up 9,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,505 to #45,684.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Oldman
FAQ
Oldman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oldman?
Name Census estimates that about 578 living Americans carry the surname Oldman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 593,001 residents.
How common is Oldman?
Oldman 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 Oldman. 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 Oldman.
Has Oldman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oldman went from 370 recorded bearers to 504. That is an increase of 134 (+36.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #55,505 to #45,684.
What does the Census say about the background of Oldman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oldman, the largest self-reported group is White at 43.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (43.1%) and Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Oldman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.3% (218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oldman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (43.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (43.1%), Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Oldman (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 Oldman mean?
An occupational surname referring to an elderly or aged man. 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 Oldman (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 people are called Oldman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Oldman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.