2000
#2,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,892
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.52
Uncommon Last name
Oliva
A surname of Latin origin referring to someone who cultivated or lived near olive trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,995 Americans carry the last name Oliva. That puts it at #1,833 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,583 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oliva 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 Oliva with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,583
Census rank
#1,833
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,181 bearers of the surname Oliva in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1833rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oliva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.3%. The next largest groups are White (20.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oliva
The surname Oliva is of Italian origin, and it can be traced back to the medieval period. Historically, it was prevalent in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Liguria, and Sicily. The name is believed to derive from the Latin word "oliva," which means "olive," suggesting a connection to olive cultivation or olive-related trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Oliva can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medievale, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Lombardy. In this collection, there is a record from the 12th century mentioning an individual named Guglielmo Oliva, indicating the surname's presence during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Oliva appeared in the Rationes Decimarum Italiae, a series of records related to the collection of tithes in various Italian states. These records mention several individuals with the surname Oliva residing in different parts of Italy, such as Tuscany and Sicily.
The Oliva surname has been associated with several notable historical figures over the centuries. One such figure was Giovanni Oliva, a Franciscan friar and theologian who lived from 1248 to 1322. He was a prominent figure within the Franciscan Order and authored several influential works on theology and mysticism.
Another notable individual with the surname Oliva was Gaspare Oliva, an Italian painter and engraver who lived from 1505 to 1587. He was known for his religious paintings and worked extensively in churches and monasteries throughout Italy.
In the 16th century, the name Oliva can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, where an individual named Diego de Oliva was tried for alleged heretical beliefs. This connection suggests that the surname had also spread to Spain during that period.
During the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Oliva was Nicolò Oliva, an Italian composer and violinist who lived from around 1610 to 1680. He was a prominent figure in the musical life of Venice and composed various works for the violin.
In the 18th century, the surname Oliva gained prominence in the field of science with the Italian naturalist and botanist Giuseppe Oliva, who lived from 1769 to 1845. He made significant contributions to the study of botany and published several works on the flora of Italy.
While the surname Oliva has maintained its presence across various regions of Italy throughout history, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with strong Italian immigration or cultural influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oliva
Among Census respondents with the surname Oliva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.3%. The next largest groups are White (20.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Oliva 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 Oliva surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino74.3% · 14,251
- White20.6% · 3,960
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 596
- Two or more races1.2% · 230
- Black or African American0.6% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oliva
Oliva 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
#1,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,513
+4,621 bearers (+31.0%)
Per 100,000 6.62
Rank movement Up 406 places
2020
#1,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,181
-332 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 6.42
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,241 | 14,892 | 5.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,835 | 19,513 | 6.62 | +4,621 bearers (+31.0%) | Up 406 places |
| 2020 | #1,833 | 19,181 | 6.42 | -332 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 2 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 Oliva 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 | #1,835 | #1,833 | 0.1% |
| Count | 19,513 | 19,181 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.62 | 6.42 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oliva bearers went from 19,513 to 19,181 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,835 to #1,833.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Oliva
FAQ
Oliva surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oliva?
Name Census estimates that about 21,995 living Americans carry the surname Oliva. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,583 residents.
How common is Oliva?
Oliva ranks #1,833 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,181 people with the surname Oliva. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,995), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Oliva.
Has Oliva become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oliva went from 19,513 recorded bearers to 19,181. That is a decrease of 332 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,835 to #1,833.
What does the Census say about the background of Oliva?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oliva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.3%. The next largest groups are White (20.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Oliva in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (14,251 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oliva appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (74.3%), White (20.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Oliva (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 Oliva mean?
A surname of Latin origin referring to someone who cultivated or lived near olive trees. 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 Oliva (6.42 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 have the last name Oliva?
Want to know how common the surname Oliva is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.