Olin
A surname with several possible roots, including a French given-name origin and, in some cases, a shortened form of Scandinavian or Gaelic names.
The #7,950 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,164 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Olin is not straightforward, and the historical evidence points to more than one possible source. One line of explanation connects it with French personal names, especially forms related to Odilo/Odilin, which are ultimately from a Germanic name. In other cases, similar-looking surnames may arise as shortened or altered forms of Scandinavian or Gaelic names, so the same spelling can reflect different origins in different families.
History
The name appears in historical records in several countries, but the surname is relatively uncommon. In modern English-speaking contexts it is often encountered as an immigrant or anglicized name rather than a long-established native English surname. Because the spelling is simple and phonetically transparent, it could also have developed independently in more than one linguistic setting.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A French onomastic source noted that Olin can look like a close cousin of names built from Odilo/Odilin, showing how small spelling shifts can hide a much older personal name behind them.
From the historical record
“Ill : KLrtiv'i QuHt, p. 109. ijGo. ]olin Bo™ and Margaret Paddye : MarriBie Lie (London), i. 10. 1^. Francii EKowtk ot Borne, co. Soma. : Rrf. Univ. Oif. vol il. pt. K.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances