Olivas
A Spanish surname meaning “olives” or “olive trees,” likely referring to someone connected with olive growing or an olive grove.
The #1,785 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,356 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Olivas is the Spanish plural of oliva, meaning “olive.” In surname use, it most likely began as a name for someone living near olive trees or an olive grove, or for a place associated with olives. The deeper root is Latin oliva, the olive fruit and tree.
History
The surname is found especially in Spanish-speaking regions and in Latin American communities. In many cases it likely developed as a habitational or topographic name from places or landscapes marked by olive trees. The related forms Olivar, Olivera, and Olivo show how widespread this olive-based naming pattern was in Iberian surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The olive tree has been a powerful Mediterranean symbol for centuries, so surnames built from oliva often carry a distinctly southern European flavor.
From the historical record
“Olivar. El lugar o sitio plantado de olivos. Olivas. Plural de oliva. Olivera. Olivo. Olivillo. Olivo enano.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos