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Oliva Family History

Oliva Surname Meaning

Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese: habitational name from Oliva in Valencia, Santa Oliva in Girona, or possibly from any of the places in Extremadura named La Oliva, from Latin oliva ‘olive’. Italian (mainly southern Italy and Liguria): from Latin oliva ‘olive’, applied as a topographic name for someone who lived by an olive tree or grove, or a metonymic occupational name for a gatherer or seller of olives, or an extractor or seller of olive oil, or perhaps in some cases a nickname for someone with a sallow complexion.

German: habitational name from Oliva (Polish Oliwa), now a quarter of Gdańsk in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. French (southern France and Corsica): of Italian origin (see 2 above) or a dialect variant of Olive ‘olive’.

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


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Where is the Oliva family from?

You can see how Oliva families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oliva family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Oliva families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 28 Oliva families living in London. This was about 44% of all the recorded Oliva's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Oliva families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oliva surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Oliva ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Hairdresser and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Oliva. 100% of Oliva men worked as a Hairdresser and 100% of Oliva women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Oliva | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Hairdresser
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Oliva family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Oliva. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Oliva census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Oliva

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Oliva. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Oliva immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Oliva. For the veterans among your Oliva ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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