NameCensus.

UK surname

Olson

A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Olaf" or "descendant of the ancestral name Ólafr."

In the 1881 census there were 201 people recorded with the Olson surname, ranking it #12,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 513, ranked #9,816, up from #12,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, All Saints Poplar and Latheron. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Olson is 534 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 155.2%.

1881 census count

201

Ranked #12,791

Modern count

513

2016, ranked #9,816

Peak year

2014

534 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Olson had 201 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 513 in 2016, ranked #9,816.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 271 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Olson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Olson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Olson 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 45 #25,168
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 201 #12,791
1891 historical 202 #14,808
1901 historical 263 #12,717
1911 historical 271 #12,237
1997 modern 407 #10,869
1998 modern 425 #10,859
1999 modern 437 #10,717
2000 modern 444 #10,559
2001 modern 444 #10,348
2002 modern 455 #10,349
2003 modern 425 #10,765
2004 modern 416 #10,963
2005 modern 411 #10,956
2006 modern 409 #11,032
2007 modern 421 #10,920
2008 modern 451 #10,394
2009 modern 468 #10,354
2010 modern 497 #10,111
2011 modern 488 #10,135
2012 modern 523 #9,555
2013 modern 519 #9,748
2014 modern 534 #9,613
2015 modern 512 #9,853
2016 modern 513 #9,816

Geography

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Where Olsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, All Saints Poplar, Latheron, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Calderdale, Wiltshire and West Berkshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)
3 Latheron Caithness
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 015 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Halton 006 Halton
3 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
4 Wiltshire 016 Wiltshire
5 West Berkshire 015 West Berkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Olson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Olson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Olson, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Olson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Olson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Olson is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Olson 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

Olson falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Olson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Olson

The surname Olson originated in Scandinavia and is a patronymic name, meaning "son of Ole". Ole was a common Scandinavian given name derived from the Old Norse name Áleifr, which was composed of the elements ál (meaning "ancestor") and eifr (meaning "ever" or "descendent").

This name has its roots in the Norse tradition of using patronymic surnames, where the son would take his father's given name and add the suffix "-son" to indicate their relationship. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to medieval Sweden and Norway.

In Norway, the Olson surname can be found in historical records dating back to the 13th century. One notable example is the mention of Olaf Olson in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval Icelandic literature that dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

In Sweden, the Olson surname is also well-documented in historical records. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Olof Olson, a Swedish farmer who lived in the village of Stora Tuna in the province of Dalarna in the late 15th century.

As the Scandinavian diaspora spread across the world, the Olson surname traveled with them. One famous bearer of this name was Ole Olson, a Norwegian-American sailor and whaler who lived from 1823 to 1899. He is known for being one of the first Norwegians to settle in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Another notable figure with the Olson surname was Culbert Olson, an American politician who served as the 29th Governor of California from 1939 to 1943. He was born in 1876 in Kingsburg, California, and played a significant role in the state's political landscape during the mid-20th century.

In literature, the Olson surname is associated with the American poet and essayist Charles Olson, who was born in 1910 in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was a prominent figure in the Black Mountain College literary movement and is considered a major influence on the development of Projective Verse, a poetic form that emphasizes open composition.

While the Olson surname has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since become a widespread name found in many parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Scandinavian immigrant populations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Olson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Olson 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 50 Olsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.55x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 50 2.55x
Lancashire 30 1.29x
Yorkshire 23 1.18x
Glamorgan 17 4.98x
Caithness 14 52.16x
Hampshire 10 2.49x
Durham 7 1.20x
Surrey 7 0.73x
Lanarkshire 6 0.95x
Lincolnshire 6 1.91x
Northumberland 6 2.06x
Devon 4 0.98x
Sutherland 4 26.53x
Kent 3 0.45x
Monmouthshire 3 2.12x
Orkney 2 9.27x
Renfrewshire 2 1.32x
Angus 1 0.55x
Ayrshire 1 0.68x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 3.52x
Midlothian 1 0.38x
Ross-shire 1 1.86x
Staffordshire 1 0.15x
Warwickshire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 11 Olsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.79x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 11 7.79x
Holy Trinity 10 21.40x
Poplar London 10 27.03x
Islington London 9 4.74x
Swansea St Thomas 9 262.39x
Latheron 8 178.17x
Southampton St Mary 8 31.66x
Toxteth Park 8 10.15x
Bromley London 6 13.91x
Hampstead London 6 19.65x
Sculcoates 6 19.48x
Thurso 6 143.20x
Clee With Weelsby 5 72.89x
Everton 5 6.74x
Sutton Stoneferry 5 89.93x
Golspie 4 384.62x
Limehouse London 4 18.59x
Mile End Old Town 4 12.92x
Swansea Town 4 14.29x
Glasgow 3 2.66x
Heworth 3 26.11x
Kirkdale 3 7.66x
Lambeth 3 1.75x
North Shields 3 51.55x
Plymouth Charles The 3 16.69x
St Woollos 3 18.96x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.32x
Dorking 2 31.20x
Inverkip 2 55.87x
Newcastle On Tyne 2 645.16x
Shapinshay 2 307.69x
St George In East 2 14.99x
St Marylebone London 2 1.91x
Westoe 2 6.05x
Whitchurch 2 108.11x
Anderston 1 588.24x
Barony 1 0.62x
Battersea 1 1.39x
Birmingham 1 0.61x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.00x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 5.41x
Cardiff St Mary 1 5.32x
Chatton 1 111.11x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.94x
Dundee 1 1.47x
Dundonald 1 18.48x
Ealing 1 5.71x
Eccleshall 1 39.84x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.95x
Folkestone 1 7.70x
Gorbals 1 26.60x
Great Grimsby 1 5.03x
Greenwich 1 3.20x
Hackney London 1 0.91x
Horsell 1 166.67x
Kirkbean 1 181.82x
Little Bolton 1 3.34x
Lundy Island 1 833.33x
Middlesbrough 1 3.95x
Nether Hallam 1 3.81x
Southampton All Sts 1 14.51x
St George Hanover 1 3.91x
St Mary Extra 1 30.96x
Stornoway 1 14.25x
Sunderland 1 9.71x
Swansea 1 263.16x
West Derby 1 1.47x
Westminster St James 1 4.96x
Westminster St John 1 4.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 5
Annie 4
Margaret 4
Sarah 4
Florence 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Harriett 2
Adeliza 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Christiana 1
Christina 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Florance 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Hulda 1
Jean 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Margarette 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Rosanna 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Suzane 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
James 6
Thomas 6
Charles 5
George 5
Peter 4
Alfred 3
Andrew 3
Arthur 3
Edward 3
William 3
Albert 2
Anders 2
Augustus 2
Christian 2
Henry 2
Louis 2
Nils 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Carl 1
E. 1
Ed. 1
Francis 1
Gustav 1
H. 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
Johan 1
Jones 1
Julius 1
Karl 1
Martin 1
Matthias 1
Olav 1
Ole 1
Olla 1
Olof 1
Oloff 1
Oscar 1
Patrick 1
Philip 1
Rasmus 1
Robert 1
S.W. 1
Samuel 1
Srend 1
T. 1

FAQ

Olson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Olson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 201 people were recorded with the Olson surname. That placed it at #12,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Olson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 513 in 2016. That gives Olson a modern rank of #9,816.

What does the Olson surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Olaf" or "descendant of the ancestral name Ólafr."

What does the Olson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Olson 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.