Olson
Boy name · #3680 in 2025 · Very rare
Olson is currently the #3680 boy name in the United States — 30 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #6676, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 boys born in 2025 was named Olson.
The 98-year story
Olson first appears in the Social Security records in 1927, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 36 babies and a rank of #3272. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Olson per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Olson against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Olson in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Olson is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Olson will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Olson is most common
State-level data for Olson is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Olson
Statistically, parents drawn to Olson tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Orson, Reason, Koleson, Woodson, and Ederson.
OrsonReasonKolesonWoodsonEdersonJeisonYeisonAyson
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Olson | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #3658 |
| 2024 | 36 | #3272 |
| 2023 | 27 | #4002 |
| 2022 | 21 | #4701 |
| 2021 | 14 | #6032 |
| 2020 | 14 | #5980 |
| 2019 | 13 | #6406 |
| 2018 | 22 | #4476 |
| 2017 | 14 | #6060 |
| 2016 | 16 | #5555 |
| 2015 | 12 | #6676 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5733 |
| 2013 | 10 | #7537 |
| 2011 | 6 | #10808 |
| 2010 | 6 | #10766 |
| 2008 | 5 | #12553 |
| 2005 | 6 | #10151 |
| 2004 | 5 | #11356 |
| 1997 | 5 | #9265 |
| 1982 | 5 | #6385 |
| 1968 | 6 | #3673 |
| 1960 | 5 | #4038 |
| 1957 | 8 | #3024 |
| 1956 | 5 | #3942 |
| 1955 | 5 | #3886 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Olson a popular boy name?
Olson ranked #3680 among boys in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #6676.
When was the name Olson most popular?
Olson peaked in 2024, when 36 American boys received the name (ranked #3272 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Olson?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American boys was named Olson. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.