Explore the Family Name Olaniyan

The meaning of Olaniyan

West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name O̩láníyan, from o̩lá ni ìyan ‘nobility has (its own) swagger’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Olaniyan in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Olaniyan significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Olaniyan was ranked as the 132,259th most popular surname and by 2010, it had jumped to the 67,318th spot, marking a 49.1% change. The count of people with this surname also saw an impressive increase from 118 individuals in 2000 to 293 in 2010, a surge of 148.31%. Additionally, the proportion of people named Olaniyan per 100,000 people grew by 150%, from 0.04 in 2000 to 0.1 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#132,259#67,31849.1%
Count118293148.31%
Proportion per 100k0.040.1150%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Olaniyan

When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Olaniyan, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that there was a slight shift between 2000 and 2010. By 2010, the majority, 94.20%, of individuals with the surname Olaniyan identified as Black, a slight decrease of 1.63% from 2000. In addition, small percentages began to identify as White and Hispanic, both at 1.71%, and those identifying with two or more races stood at 2.39%. No individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these census years.

20002010Change
Black95.76%94.2%-1.63%
Two or More Races0%2.39%0%
White0%1.71%0%
Hispanic0%1.71%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%