2000
#4,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.59
Uncommon Last name
Olmos
Derived from the Spanish word "olmo," meaning elm tree, likely referring to someone who lived near elm trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,980 Americans carry the last name Olmos. That puts it at #3,620 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,216 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olmos 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
11K
1 in 31,216
Census rank
#3,620
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,575 bearers of the surname Olmos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3620th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olmos
The surname Olmos originated from Spain. It dates back to the medieval era, around the 11th to 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Spanish word "olmo," which means elm tree. It was likely an occupational surname given to a person who lived near or worked with elm trees.
Olmos is a toponymic surname, meaning it was derived from a place name. Some of the earliest records show the name was associated with villages and towns in various regions of Spain, such as Olmos de Esgueva in Valladolid, Olmos de Ojeda in Palencia, and Olmos Albos in Ávila.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Olmos surname can be found in the medieval manuscript "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," which dates back to the 14th century. This document listed various noble families and their properties in the region of Castile.
In the 15th century, Juan de Olmos (c. 1425-1490) was a notable Spanish translator and historian who worked under the patronage of Queen Isabella I of Castile. He is known for his translations of Latin texts into Spanish.
Another notable figure was Francisco de Olmos (c. 1492-1571), a Spanish Franciscan friar and linguist who studied and documented the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs in Mexico.
In the 17th century, Pedro de Olmos (c. 1610-1678) was a Spanish painter and engraver who worked in the Baroque style. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings depicting scenes from the life of Christ.
Moving to the 18th century, José Olmos y Cerri (1741-1808) was a Spanish naval officer and cartographer. He is credited with creating some of the earliest maps and charts of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America.
In the 19th century, Andrés Olmos (1815-1886) was a Spanish botanist and naturalist who studied and cataloged the flora and fauna of the Balearic Islands.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals with the Olmos surname throughout history, spanning various fields such as literature, art, exploration, and science.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olmos
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Olmos 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 Olmos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.9% · 8,895
- White4.7% · 452
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 126
- Two or more races0.6% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 25
- Black or African American0.2% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olmos
Olmos 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
#3,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,895
+2,910 bearers (+41.7%)
Per 100,000 3.35
Rank movement Up 1,048 places
2020
#3,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,575
-320 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.20
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,644 | 6,985 | 2.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,596 | 9,895 | 3.35 | +2,910 bearers (+41.7%) | Up 1,048 places |
| 2020 | #3,620 | 9,575 | 3.20 | -320 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 24 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 Olmos 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 | #3,596 | #3,620 | -0.7% |
| Count | 9,895 | 9,575 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.35 | 3.20 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olmos bearers went from 9,895 to 9,575 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,596 to #3,620.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Olmos
FAQ
Olmos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olmos?
Name Census estimates that about 10,980 living Americans carry the surname Olmos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,216 residents.
How common is Olmos?
Olmos ranks #3,620 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,575 people with the surname Olmos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,980), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Olmos.
Has Olmos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olmos went from 9,895 recorded bearers to 9,575. That is a decrease of 320 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,596 to #3,620.
What does the Census say about the background of Olmos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Olmos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (8,895 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olmos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.9%), White (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). 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 Olmos (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 Olmos mean?
Derived from the Spanish word "olmo," meaning elm tree, likely referring to someone who lived near elm 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 Olmos (3.20 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 Olmos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.