Total births
7,665
Boys' name · since 1880
Olen
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 7,665 babies named Olen, peaking in 1922. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2875
- among boys today
- 7,665
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Olen currently ranks #2875 among boys' names in America, with 7,665 babies recorded since 1880.
Olen has 7,665 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2875 as of the latest data, more common than 80% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2875 among boys today
- 7,665 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 80% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Olen is currently the #2875 boys' name in America, more common than 80% of boys - 7,665 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2875
- among boys today
- 7,665
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Olen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2875
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 80% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Olen was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
193 babies were named Olen in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Olen compares
7,665 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Olen's all-time total is 21x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Olen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,665 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 193 | 23 | 22,252 |
Olen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Olen splits its recorded history at 1954: 28% of all births land in the more recent half, 72% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1887 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 193 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Olen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#2,875
Active since
1880
Olen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 193
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Olen popularity over time - girls
13 total births recorded since 1920 (Olen as girls' name)
Olen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Olen's strongest decade.
1,647 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Olen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 55
1880s
55 births
- 1890s 106
1890s
106 births
- 1900s 181
1900s
181 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,143 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,647 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,130 births
- 1940s
1940s
916 births
- 1950s
1950s
676 births
- 1960s 415
1960s
415 births
- 1970s 282
1970s
282 births
- 1980s 195
1980s
195 births
- 1990s 159
1990s
159 births
- 2000s 174
2000s
174 births
- 2010s 360
2010s
360 births
- 2020s 226
2020s
226 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,647 births (21% of all-time use).
How Olen 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 Olen's total volume
Olen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Olen by state
Where Olen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 913 | 11.9% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 582 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Arkansas | | 489 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 455 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 229 | 3.0% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 220 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 197 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 141 | 1.8% |
Texas share of Olen's total US births 11.9%
Even split
913 of 7,665 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Olen appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Olen? ▼
7,665 babies have been named Olen since 1880. It currently ranks #2875 among boys. The peak year was 1922 with 193 births.
When was Olen most popular? ▼
Olen was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,647 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Olen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Olen are Texas (913 births), Oklahoma (582 births), Arkansas (489 births).
How long has the name Olen been used? ▼
Records for Olen go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Olen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ole, Oleg, Olegario, Oley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Olen's data
- Olen's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,647 total births); usage has since declined to 226 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Olens (913 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Olen
Nearby Names Like Olen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Olen
Ole Boy
#4890 2,125 births
Oleg Boy
#11135 466 births
Olegario Boy
414 births
Oley Boy
373 births
Oleksandr Boy
#8803 87 births
Compare Olen side by side: Olen vs Ole Olen vs Oleg Olen vs Olegario
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Olen
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. "Olen: #2875 Boys' Name - 7,665 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/olen. 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 Olen 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.