Explore the Family Name Olive
The meaning of Olive
1. English: from the Middle English (Old French) personal name Olive, from Latin oliva ‘olive’, introduced from Normandy and France after the Conquest. 2. English: variant of Olliff or Oliver. 3. Catalan (Olivé): variant of Oliver. 4. French: metonymic occupational name for a gatherer or seller of olives or an extractor or seller of olive oil, or perhaps a topographic name from olive ‘olive’ (see Oliva). 5. Americanized form of Italian and perhaps also Catalan, Spanish or Portuguese Oliva.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Olive in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Olive has seen some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5,659th most popular surname, dropping slightly to 6,021st place in 2010, reflecting a decrease of 6.4%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Olive surname increased by 1.6% over the decade, from 5,622 in 2000 to 5,712 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100k people, there was a decrease of 6.73%, from 2.08 people per 100k in 2000 to 1.94 people per 100k in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,659 | #6,021 | -6.4% |
| Count | 5,622 | 5,712 | 1.6% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.08 | 1.94 | -6.73% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Olive
The distribution of ethnic identity among individuals with the Olive surname also shifted between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The largest percentage of individuals identified as White, though this decreased from 75.08% in 2000 to 71.97% in 2010. Those identifying as Black represented the second-largest group, increasing slightly from 15.81% in 2000 to 16.44% in 2010. There were significant increases in those identifying as Hispanic (from 3.56% to 5.25%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (from 2.65% to 3.06%). Individuals identifying as two or more races grew from 2.22% in 2000 to 2.54% in 2010, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a moderate increase from 0.68% to 0.74%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.08% | 71.97% | -4.14% |
| Black | 15.81% | 16.44% | 3.98% |
| Hispanic | 3.56% | 5.25% | 47.47% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.65% | 3.06% | 15.47% |
| Two or More Races | 2.22% | 2.54% | 14.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.68% | 0.74% | 8.82% |
Olive ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Olive is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Spanish & Portuguese (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Eastern European, Scandinavian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.9% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 4.6% |
| Other | 22.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Olive
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Olive have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
What Olive haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Olive is R-L48, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L48 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and IJ-M429, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Currier, Napier, Harness, Wilburn, Alger, Rains, Barksdale, Dobbs, Mullis, Marston.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Olive surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Olive have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Olive" Surname 41.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Olive" Surname 37.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Olive" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Olive" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Olive?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Olive are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition