Total births
2,531
Boys' name · since 1880
Olaf
Olaf has 2,531 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1916 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12357
- among boys today
- 2,531
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other boys
Olaf currently ranks #12357 among boys' names in America, with 2,531 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Olaf has been recorded 2,531 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #12357 nationally and more common than 14% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #12357 among boys today
- 2,531 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 14% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Olaf is currently the #12357 boys' name in America, more common than 14% of boys - 2,531 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #12357
- among boys today
- 2,531
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other boys
Olaf vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12357
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 14% of names given to boys today.
1910s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Olaf was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
79 babies were named Olaf in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
How Olaf compares
2,531 Top 19% higher than 81% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Olaf's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Olaf | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,531 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 79 | 23 | 22,252 |
Olaf's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Olaf's full recorded timeline at 1952, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1983, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1916 peak of 79 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Olaf at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1916
Current rank
#12,357
Active since
1880
Olaf popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1916)
- 79
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Olaf by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Olaf's strongest decade.
501 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Olaf births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 149
1880s
149 births
- 1890s 124
1890s
124 births
- 1900s 126
1900s
126 births
- 1910s
1910s
501 births
- 1920s
1920s
357 births
- 1930s 190
1930s
190 births
- 1940s 137
1940s
137 births
- 1950s 142
1950s
142 births
- 1960s 175
1960s
175 births
- 1970s 148
1970s
148 births
- 1980s 79
1980s
79 births
- 1990s 98
1990s
98 births
- 2000s 137
2000s
137 births
- 2010s 133
2010s
133 births
- 2020s 35
2020s
35 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 501 births (20% of all-time use).
How Olaf compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Olaf's total volume
Olaf vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Olaf by state
Where Olaf concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 123 | 4.9% |
| #2 | North Dakota | | 112 | 4.4% |
| #3 | New York | | 59 | 2.3% |
| #4 | California | | 46 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Wisconsin | | 25 | 1.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 23 | 0.9% |
| #7 | Iowa | | 6 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Montana | | 5 | 0.2% |
Minnesota share of Olaf's total US births 4.9%
Even split
123 of 2,531 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Olaf appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Olaf? ▼
2,531 babies have been named Olaf since 1880. It currently ranks #12357 among boys. The peak year was 1916 with 79 births.
When was Olaf most popular? ▼
Olaf was most popular in the 1910s decade with 501 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Olaf most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Olaf are Minnesota (123 births), North Dakota (112 births), New York (59 births).
How long has the name Olaf been used? ▼
Records for Olaf go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Olaf? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Olan, Olajuwon, Ola, Olando, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Olaf's data
- Olaf's decade-level peak was the 1910s (501 total births); usage has since declined to 35 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Olafs (123 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Olaf
Nearby Names Like Olaf
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Olaf
Olan Boy
#4585 2,732 births
Olajuwon Boy
#9256 641 births
Ola Boy
624 births
Olando Boy
621 births
Olamide Boy
#7990 298 births
Compare Olaf side by side: Olaf vs Olan Olaf vs Olajuwon Olaf vs Ola
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Olaf
Ellsworth #12356
7,337 births · Peak 1918
Orie #12358
1,727 births · Peak 1917
Cicero #12355
1,453 births · Peak 1920
Elizabeth #12359
5,216 births · Peak 1989
Wilford #12354
10,442 births · Peak 1926
Park #12360
1,637 births · Peak 1923
Isom #12353
1,783 births · Peak 1920
Thurman #12361
16,392 births · Peak 1920
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Olaf: #12357 Boys' Name - 2,531 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/olaf. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Olaf draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.