The Oliphant surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,808 people carried this name — #5,931 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 50,800 people counted. That is up 7% from 5,448 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Oliphant surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the elephant’.

His entry covers Oliphant, Olivant, Ollivant and Olyphant.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 569 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Oliphant was found among the farmers of Nottinghamshire: 12 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Oliphant and Olivant.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Nottinghamshire 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Oliphant was recorded 14 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1484th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 26. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Oliphant in American newspapers,
1883–1915.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Oliphant
The Birmingham Age-herald 1915-11-28
Newspaper page from The Daily Gate City carrying the name Oliphant
The Daily Gate City 1915-11-28
Newspaper page from Iron County Register carrying the name Oliphant
Iron County Register 1883-07-12

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 32,092 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Oliphant in Australian newspapers,
1800s–1990s.

15,370 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Oliphant. The most, 4,299, date from the 1890s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 4.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 4,956
New South Wales 3,455
South Australia 2,642
Queensland 1,665
Western Australia 1,186
Tasmania 1,172
ACT (Canberra) 275
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Oliphant.

Who carried it

People named Oliphant,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Oliphant, Lord of Aberdalgie d. 1329
  • Walter Oliphant d. 1378
  • Laurence Oliphant, 3rd Lord Oliphant d. 1566
  • Janet Oliphant d. 1836
  • Anna Louisa Oliphant d. 1873
  • Anne Oliphant d. 1642

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Oliphant,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States498 records

498 records of the Oliphant name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 219
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 97
  • Other U.S. records 182
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph B. Oliphant

    Born 1948; from Ventnor City, New Jersey. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Phu Yen, South Vietnam. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Wilford L. Oliphant

    Born 1915 in Iowa. Enlisted 1945 at Fort Macarthur San Pedro, California; machinist. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret Oliphant

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Circassia from Glasgow and Londonderry, aged 23; governess. From Scotland; bound for Chicago.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 498 records for Oliphant in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia250 records

250 records of the Oliphant name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 126
  • Tasmanian Names Index 52
  • Other Australian records 72
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Oliphant

    Died 1883 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 72. Will registered in Tasmania in 1883.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Oliphant

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Roslin Castle, arriving 1834; ticket of leave 1847.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Louisa Oliphant

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Calcutta, aged 29; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 250 records for Oliphant in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands55 records

55 records of the Oliphant name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 23
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 17
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 15
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Agatha Wilhelmina Oliphant

    Born 1856 in Angerlo. Married in 1878 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Elwin Oliphant

    Married in 1889 in Amsterdam; minister.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Nicolaas Oliphant

    Married in 1778 in Rotterdam; minister, born in Leijden.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 55 records for Oliphant in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

United Kingdom33 records

33 records of the Oliphant name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 16
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 10
  • Other British records 7
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Edward Oliphant

    Born 1866 at Banff. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Mitchell Oliphant

    Died 1953, aged 64; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Oliphant

    Buried in 1798 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 77.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 33 records for Oliphant in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Canada32 records

32 records of the Oliphant name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 12
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 7
  • Other Canadian records 13
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record York Oliphant

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Symetry, bound for St. Johns, aged 16.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Thomas Foster Oliphant

    Buried in 1983 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 57.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Mary Elizabeth Oliphant

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 32 records for Oliphant in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Oliphant name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Oliphant

    Died 1901, aged 41; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Oliphant

    Died 1918, aged 32; buried at Lyttelton Anglican Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Oliphant.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Oliphant is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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