NameCensus.

UK surname

Oles

A surname derived from the Ukrainian and Polish form of the masculine given name Oleh or Oleg.

In the 1881 census there were 13 people recorded with the Oles surname, ranking it #31,761 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, up from #31,761 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bassetlaw, Carmarthenshire and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oles is 145 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 946.2%.

1881 census count

13

Ranked #31,761

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

2015

145 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oles had 13 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,761 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Oles surname distribution map

The map shows where the Oles surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Oles surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oles over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2 #33,133
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1881 historical 13 #31,761
1891 historical 11 #33,268
1901 historical 10 #33,026
1911 historical 9 #32,754
1997 modern 48 #32,878
1998 modern 50 #32,899
1999 modern 52 #32,848
2000 modern 54 #32,710
2001 modern 53 #32,674
2002 modern 54 #32,927
2003 modern 48 #33,533
2004 modern 50 #33,566
2005 modern 54 #33,433
2006 modern 59 #33,330
2007 modern 64 #33,145
2008 modern 81 #31,713
2009 modern 86 #31,612
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Oles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bassetlaw, Carmarthenshire, Bath and North East Somerset and Melton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bassetlaw 012 Bassetlaw
2 Carmarthenshire 005 Carmarthenshire
3 Bath and North East Somerset 026 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Melton 005 Melton
5 Bath and North East Somerset 024 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oles

These lists show first names that appear often with the Oles surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oles

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oles, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Oles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Oles household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Oles is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Oles is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oles falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Oles is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Oles, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Oles

The surname Oles is believed to have originated in Poland, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the Polish masculine name Olek, a diminutive form of Alexander. The name Alexander itself is of Greek origin, meaning "defender of men."

One of the earliest known records of the Oles surname can be found in the Polish town of Krakow, where a man named Jan Oles was listed in a tax registry in the year 1428. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 15th century.

During the 16th century, the Oles name appears to have spread across various regions of Poland, as well as parts of what is now Ukraine and Belarus. In a 1567 census record from the village of Strzyzow, several families with the surname Oles were listed as residents.

The Oles surname is also closely linked to the Polish town of Oleszyce, which may have derived its name from the same linguistic root. It is possible that some early bearers of the Oles surname originated from this town or its surrounding areas.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the Oles surname include:

1. Marcin Oles (1539-1612), a Polish nobleman and military leader who fought in the Polish-Muscovite War. 2. Anna Oles (1699-1778), a Polish noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable works in the city of Lublin. 3. Andrzej Oles (1703-1763), a Polish priest and scholar who wrote several influential works on theology and philosophy. 4. Kazimierz Oles (1817-1891), a Polish painter and art instructor who taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. 5. Maria Oles (1892-1962), a Polish opera singer who performed leading roles at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw in the early 20th century.

While the Oles surname is most commonly associated with Poland, it has also been found in various other countries, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the historical regions of Central and Eastern Europe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oles surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 6 Oles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.73x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6 4.73x
Staffordshire 6 14.02x
Cornwall 1 6.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 6 Oles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 84.39x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 6 84.39x
Wolverhampton 6 182.37x
Madron Penzance 1 192.31x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Oles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Ellen 2
Agnes 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Florence 1
Martha 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Oles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
James 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Oles households.

FAQ

Oles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13 people were recorded with the Oles surname. That placed it at #31,761 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Oles a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Oles surname mean?

A surname derived from the Ukrainian and Polish form of the masculine given name Oleh or Oleg.

What does the Oles map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Oles bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.