2000
#5,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,703
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.11
Rare Last name
Olivier
A French toponymic surname derived from the Latin olivarius, meaning "olive tree," referring to someone who lived near an olive grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,747 Americans carry the last name Olivier. That puts it at #5,031 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,243 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olivier 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 Olivier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,243
Census rank
#5,031
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,756 bearers of the surname Olivier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5031st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivier, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.5%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olivier
The surname Olivier is of French origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French given name "Olivier," which itself comes from the Germanic name "Odolvriz." This name is composed of the elements "od" meaning wealth or heritage, and "frid" meaning peace.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olivier appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Olivier in the county of Lincolnshire, England.
In the 12th century, the name Olivier was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. It is believed to have been introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, as many Norman families settled in various parts of the country.
One notable historical figure with the surname Olivier was François Olivier (1497-1560), a French mathematician and philosopher who served as the Chancellor of France during the reign of King Henry II. Another was Sir Walter Olivier (1505-1568), an English soldier and diplomat who served as the Lord Deputy of Ireland during the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Olivier was also found in the records of the Dutch East India Company, as a number of Dutch settlers bearing this surname migrated to various colonies around the world, including South Africa and Indonesia.
Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) was a renowned English actor and director, widely regarded as one of the greatest performers of the 20th century. He won multiple Academy Awards and was knighted for his contributions to the performing arts.
Théodore Olivier (1793-1853) was a French naturalist and entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of insects, particularly beetles. His work on the classification and description of species was influential in the field of entomology.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the surname Olivier, showcasing its French origins and its historical presence in various parts of Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olivier
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivier, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.5%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Olivier 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 Olivier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.7% · 4,169
- Black or African American24.5% · 1,657
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 491
- Two or more races5.8% · 393
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olivier
Olivier 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
#5,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,400
+697 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Up 147 places
2020
#5,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,756
+356 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.26
Rank movement Up 407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,585 | 5,703 | 2.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,438 | 6,400 | 2.17 | +697 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 147 places |
| 2020 | #5,031 | 6,756 | 2.26 | +356 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 407 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 Olivier 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 | #5,438 | #5,031 | 7.5% |
| Count | 6,400 | 6,756 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.17 | 2.26 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olivier bearers went from 6,400 to 6,756 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 407 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,438 to #5,031.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Olivier
FAQ
Olivier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olivier?
Name Census estimates that about 7,747 living Americans carry the surname Olivier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,243 residents.
How common is Olivier?
Olivier ranks #5,031 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,756 people with the surname Olivier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,747), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Olivier.
Has Olivier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olivier went from 6,400 recorded bearers to 6,756. That is an increase of 356 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,438 to #5,031.
What does the Census say about the background of Olivier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olivier, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.5%) and Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Olivier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.7% (4,169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olivier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.7%), Black (24.5%), Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Olivier (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 Olivier mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from the Latin olivarius, meaning "olive tree," referring to someone who lived near an olive grove. 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 Olivier (2.26 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 Olivier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.