Olean

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Olean

Pronounced oh-LEEN /oʊˈliːn/Medium

Meaning: Olean is an uncommon early-1900s girls' name of uncertain origin. Likely sources include the place name Olean (a town in western New York) and the Ole-/Olena/Oleta family of vintage names. No single documented etymology is established; it may be a place-inspired or coined name.Low

In 30 seconds: Olean is a rare vintage girls' name, probably drawn from the New York town of Olean or the Ole-/Olena name family. It appears faintly in the early-1900s record (said 'oh-LEEN').

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningOlean is an uncommon early-1900s girls' name of uncertain origin. Likely sources include the place name Olean (a town in western New York) and the Ole-/Olena/Oleta family of vintage names. No single documented etymology is established; it may be a place-inspired or coined name.

U.S. rank (1963)#7335 ↘ Falling

1963 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1921

Total births (all-time)≈ 853

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Olean is one of the harder names in this group to pin down. Its likeliest sources are the western New York town of Olean and the vintage Ole-/Olena/Oleta family of girls' names; either way its origin is more geographic or decorative than a translated word. The most honest reading is a place-inspired or coined vintage name.

Olean appears only as a scattering, most visible in the nineteen-tens and twenties and largely gone by mid-century — a few dozen girls a year at most. It carries a soft, old-record charm; with no clear meaning and no revival, it reads today as a genuine early-twentieth-century rarity.

Did you know? There is a real Olean — a small city in western New York — whose name may have inspired some of the girls given this name in the early twentieth century.

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Olean — uncertain; possible place name (Olean, NY) or Ole- family

Variations

OleenOleneOlean

Nicknames

OllieLena

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Olean…

Oleta— a sister Ole- vintage name of the same era

Olena— shares the Ole- opening and soft sound

Olene— another rare Ole- variant from the old record

Susan— echoes that soft -an sound

Harlean— echoes that soft -an sound

Explore names like Olean

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Olean mean?

Olean is a rare early-1900s name of uncertain origin, likely from the New York place name or the Ole- name family.

How do you pronounce Olean?

It's said oh-LEEN /oʊˈliːn/ — two syllables, stress on the last.

Is Olean a boy or girl name?

Olean is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Olean?

Olean has always been very rare in the U.S., a vintage name barely seen after the mid twentieth century.