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Olive Family History

Olive Name Meaning

English: from the Middle English (Old French) personal name Olive from Latin oliva ‘olive’ introduced from Normandy and France after the Conquest. English: variant of Olliff or Oliver . Catalan (Olivé): variant of Oliver . 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 ). Americanized form of Italian and perhaps also Catalan Spanish or Portuguese Oliva .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Oliver, Oliva, Olivo, Olivero, Olin, Moline, Alice, Obie, Glave, Line

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Where is the Olive family from?

You can see how Olive families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Olive family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Olive families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 64 Olive families living in Ontario. This was about 30% of all the recorded Olive's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Olive families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Olive surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Olive

What did your Olive ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Olive | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Farmer
30%
Laborer
15%
Labourer
9%
Student
9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

Stenographer
37%
Student
28%
Housekeeper
19%
Teacher
19%

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What Olive family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 62,000 census records available for the last name Olive. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Olive census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search Canadian census records for Olive
Passenger Lists
There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Olive. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.
View all Olive immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Olive. For the veterans among your Olive ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Olive military records

Census Records

There are 62,000 census records available for the last name Olive. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Olive census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Olive

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Olive. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Olive immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Olive. For the veterans among your Olive ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Olive military records

You've only scratched the surface of Olive family history

Discover More

What is the average Olive lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Olive life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Olive in 1945 was 41, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Olive

Browse profiles of historical people with the Olive last name